#But I always thought Karin's stare was... quite something.

[exo-raskreia]

how'd toshiro react to Karin's grown up self?

Hmm... it would depend on what their last interaction would've been. Did they ever meet up again after the Winter War? If they saw each other during the Fullbring arc when they were both at a preteen stage, then Hitsu might've been a little surprised to see Karin look so different, with her hair longer in a ponytail & possibly in her school skirt too. So, when he eventually sees her adult self, he might not be that surprised.

If they didn't see each other at all after the Winter War until Karin got older, then he might be a bit taken aback when he sees her. She is stunning. It would take him a brief moment to compose himself. He remembers that fiery short-haired tomboy playing on those dirt fields & now she's a young woman with longer hair, wearing skirts &...well, definitely a head-turner. She seems more mature too yet still holds that mischievous & playful spark that made him not mind being around her back then.

(IF I acknowledge 685 🤢, where he's still at the preteen stage, then he may be just a bit surprised by how very grown up she is now, despite that being logical; he may get annoyed if she teases him about it that she's taller - which could be Karin's defense mechanism cuz she's a bit sad that this solidifies how different their lives are & despite her having missed him, now it'd be too awkward & omg, I hate this ending-)

If he's matured into his true bankai (which is my personal HC of what should've happened) then he'd be taller than her, & he would definitely feel a bit smug about that.

Other than that, his reaction wouldn't be too grand, imo. I believe he's the type to look past appearances. He's seen his fair share of stunning women throughout his life, not to mention knowing Matsumoto from such a young age would probably somewhat desensitize him from such things, lol. So, stunning women wouldn't affect him greatly. It'd take more than that.

If anything, I think that as he gets to know Karin better (in the scenario where they'd be seeing each other quite often), that's when the attraction would begin. He sometimes finds himself staring at her & he doesn't know why. She's always intrigued him, but when he starts to find her particularly attractive, his body just...reacts a bit different when he's around her.

His face feels a little warmer, his heart beats faster, whenever they're in close proximity; like when she nears him to whisper something. When she smiles, it feels like she lights up the room & his gaze lingers. When she's training (in the scenario she's a shinigami), he can't help but admire the way she looks when she's focused, & when she manages to hold her own against him when they spar. Her body moves in a lithe dance with or without her zanpakuto, as she's not averse to hand-to-hand combat; he never means to stare when he finds her alone, & when he catches himself, he either approaches her to tell her it's time to sleep or shakes his head & gives her space.

There are times when a part of him enjoys towering over her. Seeing her look up at him with those big gray eyes just...does something to him. It's the little things he starts to take notice of. How much smaller her hands are compared to his, her slim waist as he grasps her with both hands before she falls, how nice her hair smells when she's too close (she tends to get in his personal space for some reason)...

The first time he becomes fully aware of her very shapely figure, she hugs him excitedly (maybe they haven't seen each other in a while) & he completely shuts down. Soft, curvy, warm, & round- No. This can't be happening. Not to him (he's seen enough of those fools who kept vying for Matsumoto's attention, thank you very much). Not with Karin (why her, of all people? He holds her in high regard but-but...).

He begins to rationalize that he's at that age in his shinigami life where he'd begin to have such thoughts & feelings, despite him having thought he was above all that. Karin just happens to be the closest woman to him in a non-familial sort of way that he holds in such high regard. So, of course...

Aaanndd, denial would be the first stage. I don't want to veer too off topic, lol. This got longer than expected 😅. Hope this kind of answers your question, anon!

[livelaughwhump]

Worthless - Part 12

Masterlist | Previous

Content: reference to past noncon, self-deprecation, self-hatred, dehumanization, flashback, degradation, threat of noncon (flashback), fear of noncon, pet whump, hurt/comfort

This takes place the day after chapter 11 (3 days since Lyra left)

(Italicized text indicates a flashback)

-

Elliot stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. His dull blue eyes were sunken. His previously tanned skin was pale and lifeless. There was no color in his cheeks, and hardly any light in his eyes. His sandy blond hair was stringy and greasy, even though he'd just had a bath a couple of days ago.

He was so thin, far too thin to be healthy. He'd always been much smaller than everyone else, thanks to his less-than-ideal childhood, but now, he didn't just look small. He looked fragile. No wonder his teammates were suddenly so gentle with him. He looked about as healthy as a skeleton.

Elliot ran a hand through his flat, lifeless hair, his fingers catching on multiple tangles. Several strands fell out and collected at the bottom of the sink. The sight made Elliot want to cry. He looked pathetic and broken. There wasn't a single thing that he liked about himself anymore. He used to be so confident and boastful, but now, he could hardly remember what the old him used to look like. All he could remember was the bright smile that his friends missed so much.

Elliot concentrated on his colorless lips as he tried to force them into a smile. It was shaky and forced, fake and weak, and it faded faster than it had formed.

Elliot's chin started quivering.

Have I always been this ugly?

A sudden knock at the bathroom door broke Elliot out of his thoughts. He flinched as Landon's voice said, "Elliot? You okay in there, buddy? You've been in there a while."

Elliot hesitated for a moment, waiting for his racing heart to slow before he slowly opened the door and faced his teammate. "I'm fine," he said in his small, broken voice.

Landon was silent for a beat before he said, "Okay. Just making sure." An awkward silence followed and Elliot nervously shifted his weight from side to side. Elliot kept his head lowered, unable to bring himself to look Landon in the eye. "You know," Landon started. "If something's wrong, you can talk to me." Elliot lowered his head even further. "I know there's more I have to do to make up for yelling at you the other day, but-but you can trust me, I promise."

Elliot nodded, and in the smallest voice he could muster, he said, "Yes, Sir."

Landon furrowed his thick brows in confusion. "Are you okay, buddy?"

Elliot didn't move. "Yes, S-Sir," he answered.

Landon kneeled in front of Elliot so he could look into the smaller man's downturned eyes. "Hey," Landon said, as gently as possible. "What's wrong?"

Elliot's breath hitched, and he closed his eyes to keep from looking directly at Landon. "N-Nothing, Sir."

"Why do you keep calling me that? I told you, you don't need to call me that. We're friends, right?"

Elliot bit his lower lip hard enough to draw blood. "Yes, Sir. I'm sorry, Sir." His voice was shaking and he fought to keep his tears from falling. The truth was, he didn't know why he was calling Landon 'Sir'. It just felt right, it felt necessary, and he was too afraid to stop.

Landon sighed and Elliot flinched, biting back a whimper. "I'm sorry, buddy," he quickly apologized. "I'm not upset with you, okay? I just need to talk to Karine really quick and then I'll be back, yeah?"

Elliot stiffened as Landon stood and made his way around the corner. Elliot stood there for a few seconds once Landon was gone. He wasn't quite sure why.

He slowly dropped onto his hands and knees and started crawling toward the corner of the living room, where he hugged his arms around his knees and buried his face between them.

. . .

"Karine?" Landon shouted as he threw open the door to the leader's bedroom.

Karine gasped and started. She held a hand to her racing heart, as though that would slow it, and turned to face Landon. "What the hell, dipshit? Ever heard of knocking?"

"I'm sorry," Landon quickly apologized.

Hearing Landon respond with an apology, rather than his normal retorts, sparked panic in the pit of Karine's stomach. She quickly stood to her feet and approached him. "What's wrong?" She questioned.

Landon clenched his jaw. "Do you know what's up with Elliot?" He asked.

Karine furrowed her brows. "What are you talking about? What's wrong with Elliot? Is he okay?"

"I don't know," Landon admitted. "He-He just seems kinda down today. I mean, he-he won't even look at me and he keeps calling me 'sir'." Karine pursed her lips. "He was also just sitting in the washroom for like fifteen minutes. I don't know what's going on, but I'm worried."

Karine sighed. "He's probably just depressed. I would be too if I was stuck inside for over a year. Poor thing probably hasn't properly seen the sun in ages."

Landon ran a hand down the side of his face. "So, what should I do?"

Karine rolled her eyes. "I don't know, take him on a walk or something? Why don't you ask him?"

"Okay, first of all, he's not a dog, Karine." Karine glared at Landon for that, as though to say 'you know what I meant'. "And second of all, I tried asking him, but he just says that nothing's wrong. He doesn't trust me."

Karine folded her arms across her chest. "And who's fault is that?"

Landon's gaze wavered. He was well aware that Karine was still angry with him for yelling at Elliot. He already felt horrible about it and seeing her look at him like that just worsened his guilt.

"Karine, I'm sorry. I don't have an excuse, but I want to help him as much as the rest of you do. All I'm asking for is some guidance. He trusts you, and I want him to know that he can trust me too."

Karine merely stared at him for a moment, her expression unreadable. "My only advice is to talk to him."

"But, he won't-"

"Talk to him," Karine interrupted. "And if he doesn't want to talk, leave him be. I think that's the best you can do for him right now."

. . .

Elliot stared forward at nothing, his eyes overflowing with salty tears. He was lost in his own mind, horrible memories plaguing his thoughts. In that moment, it didn't matter that he was safe and clothed and warm. He felt like he was right back in that cold cell, naked and covered in bruises while his owner loomed over him threateningly.

. . .

"Are you ready to be a good boy, mutt?"

Elliot sniffled and choked on his tears. "Ch-Christian, p-please-" the whip snapped down on his back, leaving angry red welts in its wake. Elliot whimpered, his arms shaking with the effort to hold up his exhausted body.

"Know your place, whore!" Christian shouted, whipping him several more times for good measure. Elliot struggled to stay on his hands and knees, as instructed. "I am your master now, and you will refer to me as such! Understand?"

Hot, burning tears streamed down Elliot's dirt-crusted face. "P-Please, l-let me g-go." Those words earned him five more lashes. "What-What did I do?" Three more lashes. "P-Please, s-stop." His voice was barely above a whisper now. One more lash and his arms would surely give out.

The whip clattered to the ground before Elliot's eyes, and Christian's hand snatched hold of his jaw, jerking his head up to face his captor. Elliot yelped, his eyes burning and his lip trembling. He felt absolutely pathetic.

Christian glowered at him with fire in his black eyes. "If this method of training doesn't work for you, pet, would you prefer a different method?" Elliot's eyes were wide and full of fear and tears. "You're already exposed and available for me to use. Would you prefer if I bend you over and split you open right here? You're already so delicate and weak. It wouldn't be hard. Or would you like to try to be a good boy for me? Your choice."

Elliot burst into uncontrollable sobs. This couldn't be happening. What had he done to deserve this?

Elliot sniffled and lifted his eyes to meet Christian's. "I-I can be g-good, M-Master." His stomach sank as the words left his lips. Christian had truly broken him.

Christian smiled and released his bruising grip on Elliot's jaw. "There's my good boy." Christian began to scratch behind Elliot's ear like one would a dog. Elliot whimpered, disgusted with himself for reveling in the gentle touch. "I knew you had it in you. You'll be the perfect little pet for me, won't you? You'll be a good dog for your master."

. . .

Elliot wrapped him arms tighter around his knees, trying to make himself as small as possible. He was trying so hard not to cry, but the memories wouldn't stop replaying in his head. That was the moment when his old self had finally died, the first time he had ever called Christian 'Master'. The first time he had embraced his role as a pet. He never fought again after that.

Elliot's lip started quivering again. He sniffled and clamped his eyes shut to stop the tears from escaping. He couldn't imagine how disappointed his teammates must've been when they found what was left of their friend. As much as they tried to hide it, he knew how much they missed the old Elliot, the one that was all smiles and laughter.

He didn't even deserve to be called by that name anymore. He was a pathetic excuse for the person he used to be.

"Buddy?" A soft, distant voice said. Elliot lifted his gaze from the ground to meet Landon's sky blue eyes. Elliot was barely tethered to reality, still trapped in his own harrowing memories. "Are you okay?" Landon's voice was slightly clearer as Elliot's consciousness slowly returned to his body.

As Elliot became more aware of his surroundings, his eyes went round.

Landon smiled awkwardly at him. "Hey, buddy. You okay?"

Elliot wiped the tears off of his face and bowed his head. "Yes, Sir."

Landon's smile died and Elliot tried hard not to burst into tears.

You just can't stop disappointing people, can you?

"Karine said you might be depressed. Is that what's happening?" Landon questioned.

Elliot didn't know how to answer. Depression was a human emotion and Elliot was just a stupid animal. He reluctantly shook his head. "N-No, Sir."

Landon hummed. "So, just having a bad day, then?" Elliot sniffled and clamped his eyes shut. "It's okay, you're not in trouble," Landon assured him. "We all get bad days sometimes, and-" Landon paused as an idea struck him. He smiled. "I think I know something that can help. Come with me." Landon stood up and extended a hand out to Elliot.

Elliot stared at the outstretched hand for several long seconds before touching the top of his head to Landon's palm. Landon pulled his hand back and looked at Elliot with confusion in his eyes. "What are you doing?" He asked.

Elliot flinched. "Wh-Whenever M-Master didn't have my-my leash, he-he would always pull me around by-by my hair." He hunched his shoulders. "I-I just thought-"

"I'm not going to pull your hair," Landon snapped. Elliot flinched and whimpered. "And I'm not putting a leash on you either. That's so fucked up."

Elliot tried so hard not to cry, his body quivering with the effort. "I-I'm sorry, Sir. I didn't mean to offend you."

Landon took a deep breath and started over. "I didn't mean to snap at you, Elliot. I'm sorry. You haven't done anything wrong." Elliot's trembling slowed slightly. "I just wanted to help you up, that's all."

Elliot's face turned pink.

Dumb, stupid, brainless bitch

"O-Oh." Elliot placed a trembling hand into Landon's and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. Elliot kept his head down as they walked. He didn't want to know what Landon was planning to do with him, but he did know that he would try to be good for him.

Elliot was a little surprised, to say the least, when they arrived in his own room. His fear only grew as Landon led him over to the bed.

"Okay," Landon began. "So, you can lay down and get comfortable. I'm just going to grab a few things and I'll be right back, yeah?"

Elliot glanced up at Landon when he heard his instructions. Landon wore a wide, proud smile. Elliot's eyes widened.

No, no, no, this can't happen again. Please, not again

Landon's smile faded. "Something wrong?" He asked.

Elliot panicked.

Be good. Be a good boy and maybe it won't hurt as much. Maybe he'll make it feel good

Elliot shook his head. "N-No, Sir. I-I will do whatever you say."

Landon didn't look satisfied, but he nodded and left the room, presumably to fetch everything he needed to use the pathetic little bitch he'd left behind.

It was then that Elliot's efforts to avoid crying failed. Tears trickled down his face as he sat on the bed, the place where he slept.

Hopefully he'll let me change the sheets once he's done

Elliot gingerly held the hem of his shirt between his thumb and forefinger. He sniffled and suppressed the urge to sob as he gently pulled his gray shirt over his head.

The cold air hit his bare skin and he started violently shivering. He'd started getting used to wearing clothes again, but he should've known it wouldn't last. He didn't remove his pants yet. Landon would probably want to do that himself just like Master.

Elliot kneeled in the middle of the bed with his head bowed. He quickly wiped away his tears and held his breath while he waited for Landon to return.

. . .

Landon was very proud of himself.

When he was little, his younger sister would have a lot of bad days, and he would always tuck her into bed with some tea or hot cocoa to cheer her up. Sometimes he would even read to her or put on her favorite movie.

He just hoped it would be enough to cheer Elliot up, even just a little bit.

Landon was grinning from ear to ear as he carefully carried a book, his laptop, and two mugs of peppermint tea into Elliot's room.

However, the moment he opened the door, his smile disappeared.

Elliot was shirtless and kneeling in the center of his bed. His shoulders were trembling and he looked like he was about to cry.

"Elliot?" Landon said, hoping his confusion didn't come off as irritation.

Elliot suppressed a flinch. "I-I'm ready, Sir." His breath hitched. "I-I will be good for you, I-I promise. P-Please, don't make it h-hurt."

Landon furrowed his brows. "What are you talking about?" He exclaimed, setting down all of his things on Elliot's nightstand.

Elliot whimpered and offered up both of his wrists, as though expecting to be restrained. "I-I will be good, Sir," he repeated. "I-I will be silent and-and still. I will make you f-feel good." Landon didn't understand any of what Elliot was saying, but he grew more and more concerned with each word. Elliot sniffled, and several traitorous tears slipped down his face. "I w-will be a g-good s-s-sex toy for you."

Landon's eyes nearly popped out of his skull. "Oh, my God, Elliot, no!" He shouted.

Elliot flinched and yelped, but he didn't move from his submissive position. He didn't even lower his outstretched wrists.

Landon violently shook his head. "No, no, no. Elliot, I would never do that to you, oh my God! I-I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make you think that I...oh, buddy."

Elliot was sobbing and pressing the heels of his hands to his eyes to stop the heavy flow of tears. Landon desperately wanted to give him a hug, but he didn't think that was the best idea, given the circumstances.

"I-I'm so s-sorry, Sir. I-I shouldn't have a-assumed. I'm so stupid. I'm sorry."

Landon felt his heart drop. "Elliot, no," he said in the softest voice he could muster. "You're not stupid, and I'm not mad at you. I just-" Landon stared at the sobbing mess in front of him as rage boiled in the pit of his stomach. How could someone do this to another human being?

For some reason, it was only then that Landon realized what an assumption like this meant.

Fury burned behind Landon's eyes, but he wouldn't make the mistake of taking his anger with Whitlock out on Elliot again. Landon forced himself to take several deep breaths in order to calm his racing heart. Then, he knelt in front of the bed so he could meet Elliot's downturned eyes.

"Elliot, buddy, I'm going to need you to look at me for a second, okay?" Elliot reluctantly obeyed, lifting his teary eyes to meet Landon's. Landon's stomach clenched. He really didn't want to have to ask, to bring up such painful memories, but he needed to know. He needed to be sure. "Did Christian...do that to you?" He couldn't bring himself to say the word. That would only make it so much more real.

"D-Do what, S-Sir?" Elliot asked.

Landon's insides churned. He really didn't want to elaborate, but he knew he had to. Still, he refused to say the word. "Did he...use you? Like you thought I was going to use you?"

Elliot's face darkened with understanding. He tore his gaze away from Landon's face as more tears flooded his eyes. He gave a gentle nod, but he didn't do anymore than that.

Landon's heart sunk. He'd already known the answer, but having Elliot admit it was so much worse. Landon wanted to scream and break something, but he refused to do any of that in front of Elliot. He refused to traumatize the poor boy anymore than he already had.

. . .

How fucking pathetic is that? You're so useless and ugly and disgusting that he doesn't even want to fuck you! You really are good for nothing, you worthless bitch

Elliot wanted to crawl into a hole and die. He was utterly horrified at the accusation he had made, and he was sure Landon was too. Red hot shame crept onto his face and every part of his body was trembling.

Stupid, empty-headed mutt

"Elliot," Landon's soft voice said. Elliot couldn't move, couldn't bear to look at the man in front of him. He was utterly humiliated. Surely, Landon hated him even more now, especially now that he knew what Christian had done to him. Surely, he thought Elliot was disgusting and dirty. However, those thoughts did not match the words Landon said next. "Elliot, buddy, it's okay. I-I'm not angry or anything. I just...I'm so sorry that happened to you."

Elliot sniffled and wrapped his frail arms around his exposed body. "Wh-Why?" He mumbled.

A moment of silence followed. Elliot still refused to look at Landon, so he couldn't see the look on the older man's face as he said, "What?"

Elliot whimpered. "Wh-Why are you s-sorry? You-You don't l-like me."

Landon's eyes grew sad and his voice softened as he said, "Elliot...first of all, what-what you went through, I-I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy." Elliot lowered his head. "Second of all, whatever I did to make you think I don't like you, I'm so sorry. I do like you. I'm your friend, remember?"

Elliot's lower lip was quivering. "Really?" His voice was shaking just as much.

Landon thought for a moment. "Wait here," he said. He stood up from his kneeling position and moved about the room. Elliot flinched, his whole body tense as he waited for Landon to return. When he did, he was holding a mug, a blanket, and Elliot's discarded shirt. "Here, put your shirt back on." Elliot did as he was told. Grateful to cover up his exposed body. Then, Landon wrapped the soft blanket around the younger man's shoulders and handed him the warm mug.

Once Elliot was sufficiently warm and comfortable, Landon sat beside him, though a couple feet away. Elliot stared sadly into the contents of his mug. Landon pursed his lips and sighed. "When my sister was younger, I would always read to her when she was sad." Elliot glanced over at Landon. "Sometimes I'd make her tea and I would snuggle her up in as many blankets as I could find. Then, I would cuddle with her and read her one of her favorite books."

Elliot hesitated. "That's-That's very nice of you," he said.

Landon met Elliot's dull gaze. "That's all I was planning to do with you. You were having a bad day and I thought-" Landon broke off when Elliot's face fell and he turned his head away. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

Elliot sniffled and stared into his tea once more. "It-It wasn't your fault. I-I was pr-presumptuous. I'm sorry I accused you."

Landon reluctantly reached a hand toward Elliot's shoulder, but he stopped himself before he could touch him. "Elliot, no one in this house would ever do that to you," he said as he pulled his hand back. Elliot didn't react. "Myself included. We all just want what's best for you. We want you to be happy. We would never hurt you."

Elliot took a reluctant sip of his peppermint tea. It was only lukewarm by that point, but he was still grateful for it.

Landon's gaze wavered. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Elliot glanced over at him. "About what?"

Landon hesitated. "About your time with...Christian. About what he did to you." Elliot tensed, but he didn't speak. "You don't have to. I-I just want you to know that I'm, um, I'm here if you need someone to talk to."

Elliot was silent for several long seconds, holding his breath to keep from crying again. "Th-Thank you, but-but I'm n-not ready." Elliot flinched, preparing to be hit.

"That's okay," Landon assured him. Elliot relaxed just a bit. "You can talk when you're ready. We're all here for you. You're not alone anymore."

Elliot hunched his shoulders, and in a brief moment of bravery, he said, "Landon?"

Landon hummed in response.

Elliot nervously fidgeted with the mug, tapping on the ceramic and swirling the contents around. "Can-Can you, um..." His bravery was beginning to fade. "Can you-Can you h-hold me?" He stammered. Elliot didn't dare chance a look at Landon. He didn't want to see the expression the larger man wore. "Just-Just for a little bit? I-I promise I'll be-be good."

Several long seconds of blistering silence followed and dread filled Elliot's stomach.

Stupid dog. He hates you, remember? He's disgusted by you! He knows what a dirty slut you are, now. Why would he want to be anywhere near you, let alone touch you?

Elliot started to cry again. "I'm sorry," he choked out. "Just-Just forget I s-said anything."

"No, no, no, it's okay," Landon frantically assured him. "I was just...a little shocked, that's all. Of course, I'll hold you! I'd be happy to hold you."

Elliot glanced up at the older man, his lower lip trembling. "R-Really?"

Landon forced a weak smile onto his face and awkwardly opened his arms. Elliot stared at him with uncertainty for a few seconds, sure that the minute he got close, Landon would smack him. Elliot's gaze wavered. "I won't hurt you, buddy. I promise," Landon said.

Elliot stiffly scooted closer to Landon and let himself fall into Landon's arms. Landon was strong, but not in a threatening way. He was warm and inviting. Elliot felt safe and secure instead of trapped. After a few awkward minutes, Elliot reluctantly melted into Landon's embrace, burying his face in the man's chest. Tears slipped out of the corners of his closed eyes as Landon began to rock him back and forth, rubbing soothing circles into Elliot's back. Elliot whimpered.

"It's okay," Landon whispered. "I've got you. You're safe. I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you again, Elliot. I promise. I've got you."

For some reason, Elliot didn't doubt a single word.

-

Sorry this one took so long, you guys! It's been a rough week, but hooray for another Landon chapter! I think this one ended much better than the last one

I didn't really get a chance to proofread this one much, so sorry for any typos!

Taglist:

@l-antre-des-merveilles @pigeonwhumps @nicolepascaline @burningkittypoet @whumpinggrounds @suffering-and-misery @make-them-scream @honeycollectswhump @rabass

If anyone wants to be added to or removed from the taglist, please let me know😊

[hubba1892]

Das Nest (2019) | Das kalte Haus (2022) Ich wusste, dass Du meine Frau sein wirst. In dem Moment, als ich Dich zum ersten Mal gesehen habe … da wusste ich‘s.

[yandere-romanticaa]

How would yanderes Kakashi, Sasuke, Indra react to the reader asking for a break up (if they're dating) or divorce (if they're married) since reader gets uncomfortable with them now and finally notices their really possessive and unhealthy behavior? I have a feeling this most certainly won't go well.....

♡Kakashi Hatake.♡

You've been probably married to Kakashi for a little bit over a year but your dating period definitely lasted much longer than that. Kakashi isn't someone that can just open up on a whim, the man needs time, the fact that he even settled down is already strange to some people!

There were some red flags even when you were just dating but you always brushed them off, chalking it off to Kakashi being overprotective because he had been exposed to a lot of bloodshed ever since he was a little kid. He would always somehow mysteriously know where you were, with who you were and what you were doing. Whenever you confronted him about this he would just shrug it off, smile sweetly and give you a little kiss, telling you that he wouldn't be a good ninja if he didn't know where you were.

You believed him.

How naive.

After you finally decided to take off your rose tinted glasses, you started to see just how wrong all of this was, how utterly deprived Kakashi really is. You barely had a social life, a lot of people were too scared to even come close to you let alone speak to you. After putting two and two together, you decided to call it quits.

You demanded a divorce.

Very upfront, very cold was your ideal approach. There was no emotion in your eyes, not even a trace of anger, fear or sorrow.

Even as you were breaking his heart, Kakashi still couldn't help but to find you beautiful.

He knew that something was off about you for a while now but he decided not to comment on the issue. That was a fatal mistake on his part. If he did, you wouldn't be holding those stupid divorce papers right in front of him.

His indifference made you shiver a little.

You could feel his special eye staring at you right through his headband. The heavy tension was killing you, so you fled. Taking your already packed things you left your shared apartment, leaving Kakashi all alone.

A thick silence filled the room, a silence so suffocating you couldn't blame Kakashi if he stopped breathing right there and then.

He felt nothing, yet everything. All at the same time. It was a horrible feeling. But, the thing is dear, you had no idea that Kakashi already had an ace up his sleeve. Deep down he always hoped that he wouldn't need to use it, that the two of you could just be happy together.

You did the unthinkable, pushing him this far. Your fate had been sealed in the worst possible way and you didn't even know it.

♡Sasuke Uchiha.♡

Dating Sasuke was always a rollercoaster of emotions, that's for sure. There were plenty of highs, even more lows and a mix of all sorts of confusing emotions. Sasuke wasn't someone you could call a loving and doting, but he was a loyal boyfriend. He always came back to you after every single mission with that cocky grin of his. Even if he was bloody and bruised, he would always come running back to you.

It was for that same reason why you couldn't be with Sasuke anymore.

His obsession with revenge was too much to handle, and not to mention of constant battles. It was hard, watching the one you love getting hurt so much all the damn time. You would always do your best to patch him up, with Karin's help of course. Sasuke would always kiss you after that, thanking you for being so patient with him and that no matter how tough his missions were, if you were waiting for him he would always be alright.

... that wasn't the lovely compliment he thought it was.

And his team, oh goodness his team.

Karin hated you so openly, so passionately, there were times when the two of you couldn't be in the same room together because of her petty jealousy. Suigetsu was okay, you didn't mind his company but it was nasty how he and Karin fought so often. And Jugo just flat out scared you, he almost killed you several times!! Sure, he always got restrained in the end, but that barely ever helped to calm your terrified nerves.

And to add the final cherry on top was Sasuke himself.

He was a cold guy, even to you sometimes. It bothered you how he barely ever opened up to you, how he held all of his emotions deep inside of himself until he just snapped. And his jealousy was just something to marvel at, it was worthy of the story books!

You hated it!

Very flatly, very openly, you told him you were done. You cried sure, but it felt nice to finally say it, to say how you really felt. Your struggles, Sasuke's attitude, the pent up emotions from both parties and the way his team treated you, your break up was inevitable.

Too bad Sasuke never got the memo.

The moment you even uttered those horrible words, his sharingan got activated by accident. Dark onyx eyes were replaced with crimson red ones, his anger matching the intense color.

He might use brute force on you, he might restrain you, genjutsu is also on the table. Anything, anything will do just to keep you close to him.

He can't afford to lose you.

♡Indra Otsutsuki.♡

As you could imagine, this don't go so well. He will not tolerate any sort of disobedience, your own included. He thought that he made it crystal clear that the moment you exchanged vow's, you two were set for good. No turning back, other potential flings and lovers, he was yours and you were his, simple.

So why are you being so difficult right now?

He feels betrayed, for the lack of better words. He should be used to these sorts of feelings but when it comes to you, he can't help but to be extra vulnerable. He gave everything to you, everything he possibly could and it still wasn't good enough.

You still want to leave.

He's crazy, you say. And you're just stupid, he thinks to himself. You're not leaving, far from it! Indra has plans, plans that involve you and they can't be changed. He will force you to stay, by any means necessary. He just won't bother being nice about it, unlike some other yanderes.

[animeyanderelover]

How would Karin, Sasuke, Itachi, Ino, Deidara, Gaara, Kushina and Hinata reacts to their darling admitting their feelings for them and offering them their homemade chocolates on Valentine's Day?

🥺.

Tw: Yandere themes, unhealthy mindset, unhealthy relationship, possessiveness, obsessiveness, delusions, harsh behavior

Confessions and chocolates

Karin Uzumaki

♦️Oh wow! And here Karin thought she couldn’t fall more in love with you. On the other hand, she always knew you were the best to exist. That girl’s reaction will be loud, she’ll probably cheer loudly and get everyone’s attention around her, not like she cares anyways. She’s just overjoyed now. Would definitely instantly be all over you and smother you with kisses whilst keep mumbling: “Yes! Yes! Yes!”

♦️And of course she’s accepting your homemade chocolate, feeling so happy that you put so much effort into it just for her. And she swears, never tasted chocolate that good. Open your mouth, you should eat one too. You made them after all. That, and she really wants to feed you. You can feed her too if you want to! Wouldn’t that be really cute now that you’re officially a couple.

Sasuke Uchiha

💙Our Mister Emo boy here would at first be a bit flustered when you suddenly confess to him and offer him your homemade chocolate. It’s common knowledge that he isn’t the best in expressing his feelings, let alone acting on them. So he would at first be a bit paralyzed, staring with a blank expression and slightly widened eyes at you whilst feeling his heart speeding up. You might mistake the silence for something else, making you feel all embarrassed and heartbroken.

💙But the moment you make yourself small and turn around to leave him would be the moment where Sasuke snaps out of it, turn you around and take the chocolate from you. It’s the first best thing he could think of. Dear god, he has no idea what to say, but being a Tsundere he would probably try to play it smooth, giving you a smug grin and pretending like he knew from the very beginning you would eventually fall for him. Keep quiet about the small blush on his face or else he’ll get embarrassed. He’s damn happy right now.

Itachi Uchiha

🍡Itachi would be the calmest one about this. Now don’t get him wrong, he can’t even describe how happy and overjoyed he is right now, he just thinks he shouldn’t overdo it with his reaction. That does not mean that he hasn’t have a slight pink dusting his cheeks. He would accept your chocolates, feeling grateful that you invested so much time into him, and tell you that he feels the same for you.

🍡It’s of course a very casual way to react compared to many others in here, but that does not mean that he loves you less because of this. I think he’s even the type to return the favor and make you very soon homemade sweets as well.

Ino Yamanaka

🌻Yess! Ino definitely loves where this is going. Would squeal on the inside about how she can’t believe that this is happening. Ino would be someone who would always dream about her love confessing to her on Valentine, it’s the day of love after all. And it seems like her dreams came true after all.

🌻Darling, she would take those chocolates with a huge and soft smile on her face and tell you with a voice overwhelmed by joy and love that she feels the same. Expect quite the kiss after this, your first but definitely not last kiss with her. I can see Ino as someone who planned to confess to you on Valentine too, but you were just faster. But later on this day you’ll definitely be gifted with a huge bouquet adorned with lots of cute love notes and sweets.

Deidara

💥Deidara would be totally thrilled about this, the moment you started walking shyly to him with a box of chocolates in your hands he already had the hugest grin on his face, feeling like (wordplay intended) his heart exploded in his chest. Look at you being all sweet and blushing just for him! Don’t be afraid, he’ll never let you go.

💥You yourself wouldn’t have to worry, his huge grin and the blush on his face probably encouraging you. Would definitely shower you in kisses after accepting your chocolates and definitely eating the one or other piece from it. If you worry that they aren’t that good be ensured that Deidara will absolutely love them. They’re delicious! Take a bite yourself. Say “Ahh” for him. But of course Deidara has to return the favor. And what better way to do this as with a firework! Let’s just hope this day will end for both of you very romantic and not with a gore scene...

Gaara

🐼For someone who always keeps a stoic and calm face, Gaara’s reaction would be a very encouraging. Whatever he was doing at the moment, most likely working in his office, he would totally freeze and stare with wide eyes at you the moment you offer him those chocolates and confess that you really like him. Is this a dream? And if yes, please don’t wake him up! You’ll be able to see how the Kazekage starts having a huge blush on his face, the color being similar to his hair color.

🐼Not even to mention that for a while he won’t be able to say anything, stumbling over his own words. But eventually he’ll get his shit together as good as he can and accept your confession and the chocolates, heart pounding against his chest whilst admitting that he feels the same. Would be a bit too shy to kiss you at first so better act on it yourself and make him go even redder. His siblings are definitely going to tease him later on about this.

Kushina Uzumaki

🌶This is for sure one of Kushina’s best days in her whole life when you start confessing and offering her afterwards with a shy smile on your face your homemade chocolates. Kushina on the other hand would have a large smile on her face, a pink blush on her face and her eyes sparkling with happiness. Her whole aura will radiate happiness out. I can see you and her being really good friends before that and friends to lovers is probably very romantic in her opinion.

🌶Absolutely nothing can ruin her mood right now, almost jumping onto you and hugging you whilst telling you her feelings as well. If you really are friends I can somehow see you both having gifted each other always things on Valentine before, only difference now that you admitted your feelings. And Kushina for sure planned the same. Would be unfair if the whole spotlight would fall to only you, right? She has something prepared as well.

Hinata Hyuga

💘Don’t blame her if she suffers from a heart attack or just faints then and there out of happiness. When it comes to you Hinata is very fragile, but by all means not weak, ready to defend you if she has to. But right now? She wouldn’t be able to do anything, her brain not being able to process her silent demands and for a few moments she’ll just stand there with a beautiful pink blush on her face, not saying anything and just staring shocked at you.

💘If any of her friends are near her they’re going to help her of course, giving her a quick nudge in the side to help her out of her current condition. But the moment you start looking unsure because she doesn’t say anything or become a bit impatient is the moment Hinata would jump into action, quickly telling you she feels the same and becoming very shy afterwards. She would accept your chocolates and press them tightly against her pounding heart. Best day ever.

[darisu-chan]

burnin' up

Welcome to another IR Month!

Today, I bring you this one-shot which is the opposite of keeping cool. Just what we need for this summer day.

Hope you guys enjoy it!

You can also read it here.

Prompt: keep your cool

Summary:When it is hot out, the best solution is to go to the beach and swim to keep cool…right?

It is terribly hot this summer.

Not that other summers haven’t been as hot, or even hotter than this. But for some reason, Ichigo feels the heat way more this year. He can’t quite put his finger on it. He just knows it is too hot and nothing he has tried so far has been able to cool him down. And, look, he was born in summer. He is used to the flames, the scorching heat, the shinning sun on his back. He does prefer sunny days to the rain, it’s true. And yet, this year the heat has been excruciating. Ice cream, ice cubes, fans. Nothing has seemed to work. At this point, he’s not sure there is anything out there that will make the heat go away.

If he’s this bothered, just imagine Rukia.

She is miserable.

Honestly, Ichigo wouldn’t have expected it to be any different. She was born in the middle of winter, and her zanpakutō is a snow one, a literal Snow White. Of course Rukia has never done great in the summer. But especially not this one. Summers in Karakura can be a pain in the ass, but Ichigo reiterates this summer in particular has been the worst so far. So, Rukia’s been a mess. Red hot cheeks, sweat running down her neck, short skirts, lethargy. It is obvious how uncomfortable she is. And, well, Ichigo feels for her. He doesn’t do the greatest in winter, so he can sympathize with her current state. He wants to do something for her. She had taken a few weeks off to visit him after all, and Ichigo can’t help but blame himself for her current state. If she had stayed in the Soul Society, maybe she wouldn’t feel like this. But no. He can’t afford to think in this way. So, instead, he looks for solutions until he finds one.

The beach.

It is so obvious he wants to slap himself.

Of course they should go to the beach!

It would still be hot, sure, however the ocean water and the breeze are always cool. Thank you, Pacific Ocean for your cold water! Besides, it is the only place where wearing little clothing is socially acceptable. Not to mention the cold drinks, ice popsicles, and other such delicacies that are sold on the beach. And the fact that going on a trip is always a welcome change in the routine. Ichigo’s not sure Rukia has gone many times to the beach, least of all to enjoy herself without worrying about the fate of the world.

So, it is decided that they will go.

“The beach?” Rukia mutters out loud once he tells her the news.

“Yep. The beach.” He simply answers and he can’t help the grin that forms on his mouth.

“What spurred this decision?” She questions him, clearly confused.

“Oh, I know what spurred this decision!” Old goat chin interjects from behind him, but Ichigo ignores him.

“I think it’d be better to enjoy the beach than being stuck here in this heat.”

Rukia stops and thinks for a moment, remembering the terrible heat she’s felt with no respite. She immediately nods her head.

“Agreed.”

That Monday, they decide, will be the day they go to the beach. They believe it will be less crowded than on a weekend, but given it is summer after all, it is a give or take. So for three days they prepare for the event, getting everything they will need: towels, a picnic basket, water bottles, swimsuits, backpacks, flip flops, sunscreen, and the like. For a moment, Ichigo stops and wonders if Rukia even knows how to swim ─ she flicks his forehead while rolling her eyes, “Tawake! Of course I know how to swim!” ─ All the while, he ignores Karin’s snide remarks, Yuzu’s smiles and his father’s perverted comments.

The night before they leave, Isshin even sits him down on his room, with a serious look on his face, which makes all the hair in Ichigo’s body stand on end.

“Now, son, I understand this is your first trip with Rukia with just the two of you, alone. So there are some things that, as a man, you need to know.”

Ichigo’s face starts burning as he stands up and sprints away from his father. Oh, hell no! He is not about to receive the talk when he’s already twenty one! And, yes, he’s pretty much aware this will be the first time he’s going to be alone with Rukia for a few days ever since their relationship changed. But it’s not like he’s planning on doing anything perverted! His intentions are pure, damnit! Yet, a little voice in his head wonders if this trip will make things change once more. When it comes to Rukia, he never knows how things are going to go. It is highly probable they will keep their hands to themselves. However, there is a teeny tiny possibility that they will cross uncharted territory. And, not gonna lie, that frightens Ichigo. Not because he doesn’t want to. But he is scared about the repercussion such a change might bring to their relationship. They have just been able to navigate this thing between them, he doesn’t want anything to ruin it! Particularly not such an adult thing to do. So, he puts those thoughts aside and goes to sleep. He tries to think about waves, sand, fish, beach balls, and definitely not in a scathingly clothed Rukia.

The next morning, Ichigo wakes up feeling refreshed and with a new outlook. He decides he is just going to enjoy this experience, whatever happens, with no expectations. When he meets Rukia in the kitchen, she is positively beaming. She is wearing a baby blue dress with a bow in the front. On her head rests a straw hat with a matching blue ribbon and her feet sport white sandals. She looks radiant. Ichigo has to look away for a moment, less he be forever blinded by her brilliance.

“Ready?”

“Yes!” She exclaims and off they go.

The trip to the beach is quiet. His old man had lent them his van and Ichigo is trying to focus on driving carefully. Though both are technically speaking not alive, that doesn’t mean their physical bodies can’t get hurt. Besides, he doesn’t want Isshin complaining about scratches on his car. Meanwhile, Rukia can’t stop staring outside the passenger seat window. From the corner of his eye, he can see the way her eyes light up the whole way. It is endearing how she manages to find magic in the most mundane of things. The road, cars, random buildings and establishments they pass by, the people. It doesn’t matter how many times she’s visited the human world, things will always be new for Rukia. Ichigo even spies her taking a picture here and there. It makes him feel happy. Happy that he can give him this. More memories. More life.

They make it to the beach by noon.

As expected, there are a lot of tourists there, but not as many as one would have expected. Neither desolate nor filled to the brim. Just the right amount of people. Rukia’s eyes turn ocean blue the moment they land on the golden sands of the beach. She squeals with unbridled joy and is about to sprint to the water when Ichigo stops her.

“We still gotta check in on the hotel.”

He had rented them a room. Nothing too fancy, he is a college student after all. But just enough to be comfortable. Ichigo goes through the usual motions. Gets their card on the lobby, and walks through the floors until they find their room. It is medium-sized with blue walls covered with paintings featuring boats and mermaids. There is just one bathroom, a mini fridge, an old TV. As it had been stated, nothing too fancy. But here is where Ichigo faces his first real problem. There is just one bed. He starts sweating the moment he realizes this, and wonders if he hadn’t specified he wanted two individual beds when he had made the reservations. Instead, there is a single queen sized bed in the room. Rukia doesn’t seem to care as she walks around the room, and opens the balcony to stare at the ocean. Internally, Ichigo screams. He hopes she is not thinking he is sleazy and that he had planned all of this trip with one purpose only. He tries to calm himself. Rukia knows him. She must know he’s not that kind of guy. And it’s not like they have never shared a room or even a bed before, for that matter. It’s just this will be the first time they will be alone. Completely alone with no one to interrupt them. Hopefully, not even Hollows.

While he is having a mental breakdown, Rukia is enjoying the cool breeze coming from the balcony. She opens all the windows and dances around the room. She opens the closet and the drawers. She discovers hangers and a notepad there. Then, she goes into the bathroom and she’s pleased to find a bathtub. Later tonight, she plans on taking a bubble bath to de-stress. Once her exploring is over, Ichigo has calmed down. Rukia is all smiles, with not a hint of displeasure in her face. She either hasn’t noticed the bed or hasn’t cared to think about the implications of it right now. He is grateful for that.

“Do you wanna go to the beach now?” He asks in case the literal elephant in the room is addressed.

Rukia nods enthusiastically. “Yes!”

They go downstairs and walk towards the beach while Rukia asks him a million of questions. Ichigo tries to answer all of them as best as he can. They talk about the peculiar birds she sees ─ “Those are called seagulls.” ─, the people, about volleyball and other beach activities, about the food, and even about Ichigo’s experiences at the beach. Finally, they find a spot under two umbrellas, and they set their towels down.

“We should put on sunscreen.” He says.

Rukia nods and reaches to the hem of her dress. She pulls it up to remove it, revealing inch by inch of creamy white skin. Ichigo’s first thought is that she will need to reapply sunscreen every two hours at least or she’s definitely going to get sunburned. His next thought is, wow, that’s too much skin! By all means, Rukia’s bikini is an average bikini as far as swimsuits go. The top doesn’t reveal too much cleavage and the bottom part covers everything that it should cover. But, man, he has never seen that much of her skin! Alright, that’s not exactly true. Though it’s not like anybody needs to know that! Still, this is new.

Rukia’s bikini is a deep violet, which matches her eyes. It has white polka dots, and the design is visually pleasing. Ichigo wonders where she had even gotten it. Had Urahara given it to her? He hopes not or he is going to kill the man. But regardless of where she got it, he can appreciate what it does to her figure. The top frames her breasts nicely. They look round and soft in it. Ready to be admired. Though small, Rukia has her own curves that he now gets to marvel at with no barriers. Small waist, small but rounded hips. Toned legs. He really doesn’t dare look at her behind, because he does have an inkling of what is awaiting him there, and he isn’t sure he is going to survive the view.

Ichigo feels in flames. Like he is burning and, by the end of this experience, there will be nothing left of him but ashes and bones.

“Ichigo, can you put sunscreen on my back? I don’t think I can reach all the way.”

Yep.

He is going to self-combust any moment now.

In hindsight, maybe this was a terrible idea. Because although his original intentions were pure, his mind is taking him to other places. Places that perhaps should remain unexplored. And, it’s been about a year since they first kissed. Six months since their relationship fundamentally changed. He never thought there would come a time in which he would be able to say Rukia was his. He has always been hers, but now she is his. Forever, they believe. But even that sounds simpler than advancing to the next level. His soul is hers. All hers. And his body wants to be hers as well. However, Ichigo isn’t sure she wants to be his in that way. Not yet at least. And, fuck, he is a man now. A man with his own curiosity and needs. A man madly in love with her. Can he be blamed for finding her the most gorgeous woman he has ever met? Can he be admonished for wanting her all to himself? Still, he shouldn’t objectify her. Shouldn’t make her think he sees her as a walking piece of meat. Rukia is much more than that. She is his person. The other piece of his soul. Even if he finds her irresistible.

No, Ichigo.

This trip is to keep cool and have fun. So keep it in your pants.

“Are you just going to stand there or are you going to help me?”

Rukia suddenly questions and breaks him out from his internal conflict.

“Uh… sure.” He stammers like a high school boy and his cheeks redden.

She turns to look at him coyly.

“Come on, I don’t bite.”

Ichigo is not so sure about that.

This is going to be a long, long trip.

[recurring-polynya]

[Renji birthday] Hey, hi. What about Orihime does smt to surprise Renji for his birthday, a thank-you him helping her at New Year celebration? Include fireworks that Renji secretly enjoys? Thanks. Anything (fic, hcs, sketch..) is fine.

I’m sorry this is late, but it’s still the Renji - Orihime Birthday Weekend, so I think it’s okay!

I love the idea of the Renji - Orihime BroTP, but somehow it’s so hard for me to write, I always do a bunch of false starts or get stuck. For this round of prompts, I was trying to do the ones that inspired me the most and I liked the idea a lot more than I had ideas, if you get my drift. Anyway, I love them both too much, though, so I muscled through.

I’m sorry if this is a little ramble-y and quite silly and I didn’t manage to squeeze in fireworks (I’ve written several fireworks scenes in the past and didn’t want to repeat myself), but what it is is four thousand words long. Also, I managed to remember that Kon exists, this is possibly the first time I have ever put Kon in anything. I hope you like it!

Read on ao3 or ff.net

🎁    🎈    🎊

“Inoue,” Renji hissed. “Why am I here?”

Orihime took a quick step backwards as Keigo ran past, screaming. Ryo followed a second later, also screaming. Renji, who had served at Squad 11 for many years, managed to leap out of the way just in time. “It’s Ichigo’s birthday party,” Orihime explained. “He wanted you to come.”

“It’s not though,” Renji pressed. “It’s Arisawa’s birthday, and we’re at Arisawa’s house. I don’t think Arisawa even knows who I am.”

“Yes, she does, silly,” Orihime replied. “I told her lots of stories about you and she said she wanted you to come. There’ll probably be a football match later, and Ichigo told her we could have you on our team, as long as he got Rukia.”

“I got hauled in all the way from Soul Society for football?” Renji asked, sounding not-at-all upset about this.

“No, I told you! Ichigo wanted you to come.”

“But it’s not his birthday.”

“But it is his party. He and Tatsuki share, you see, because their birthdays are so close and they have all the same friends. It’s Tatsuki’s year to host the big friend party. Ichigo just had a little family party on his actual birthday.”

“Ohhhhh,” Renji replied, finally understanding. He nodded for a moment. “What’s a family party?”

---

Orihime cleared her throat, and tapped her in her palm. “Thank you all for coming to this very important meeting.”

Chad, Ichigo, and Tatsuki were all crammed together on Orihime’s couch. Rukia sat on the arm, next to Chad, Kon in her lap. Uryuu sat in Orihime’s desk chair, which she had hauled in from her room.

Orihime thwapped her pointer against the large pad of paper on an easel that she had borrowed from the Student Health Advisors Club. On the first page, she had drawn a large picture of Renji and written his name. “It has come to my attention that Our Friend Renji has never had a Family Birthday Party.”

“Quick question--” Tatsuki interrupted. “Is he wearing a… fur bolero in that picture? And is the bone dragon an actual thing or just...Orihime artistic spice?”

“It’s a cowl,” Rukia said, at the same time as Chad said, “It’s a stole,” and Uryuu said “It’s a capelet.”

“Thank you, that cleared up nothing,” Tatsuki replied.

“It’s his bankai form,” Ichigo said, grumpily. “His sword turns into a giant flying snake skeleton that screams like a pterodactyl. It’s super sick and he let me ride on it twice and that cape thing is really soft, actually, but he says it gets hot. As far as I know it has nothing to do with his birthday.”

“Er, no, I just got carried away while I was drawing,” Orihime admitted. “Your bankai is very cool, too, Kurosaki-kun.”

“Got it, right,” Tatsuki nodded, sounding very much like she just wanted to move on. “He doesn’t have a family?”

“I think you’re worrying over nothing, Orihime,” Rukia said, sounding a teensy bit defensive. “Many people in Soul Society don’t have families. If there’s anyone in Soul Society who’s good at scraping up friends to spend a holiday with, it’s Renji. Everyone likes him. Half the Gotei turns up at the bar for his birthday parties.”

“I know that,” Orihime said quietly. “I know that because last New Year’s, when I was lonely, he played badminton with me, even though he was very, very hungover and pretending like he wasn’t, and then he went and rounded up all my friends in the middle of the night, and before he left, he told me there was nothing wrong with making your own holiday. But family birthdays are different! Family birthdays are about the people who love you most doing special things, just for you!” Orihime set her jaw. “When I was little, Sora always tried to make my birthdays super special! We didn’t have a lot of extra money, but he would take the day off just to spend it with me and we would go to the park or watch movies or he would let me paint his nails and braid his hair. He would take a picture of me and put it in my special birthday album with my height and weight and current favorite food.” Orihime’s mouth snapped shut. Everyone was staring at her. She’d said too much, just like she always did. Her cheeks started to burn.

“When I was little,” Ichigo suddenly said, a little bit too loud, “my mom told us that we could have whatever we wanted for dinner on our birthdays. One year, I…” he paused, his eyes darting over to Tatsuki. “I had just seen Kiki’s Delivery Service, and I was obsessed with that fish and pumpkin casserole the old lady makes?”

Orihime gasped, and clapped her hands over her mouth.

Uryuu rolled his eyes. “Who wasn’t, Kurosaki?”

Ichigo snorted, but his shoulders relaxed a little. “Anyway, it took her most of the day, and I think she must’ve gotten really frustrated at some point because me and my sisters got sent over to Tatsuki’s house so the Old Man could help her. It came out kind of lumpy and huge, but it was delicious, it was exactly what I had imagined it would taste like.”

“I remember that thing,” Tatsuki added. “She made us come over for dinner because there was so much of it. It was incredible.”

“We didn’t do Birthday Dinners for a few years after she died,” Ichigo said slowly. “But then after Yuzu got good at cooking, she said she wanted to try doing it again. My dad really likes the Godfather movies and he always used to ask for spaghetti for his birthday, which it turns out isn’t that hard to make. Karin and me helped out, and we’ve been doing it again ever since. We don’t usually do fancy stuff, it’s just nice to get to pick.”

“Ichigo made me omurice on my birthday and let me use his body to eat it!” Kon announced.

“You didn’t have to tell everyone that,” Ichigo stammered, turning pink. “It’s the only thing I’m good at making.”

“My abuelo always used to sing Las Mañanitas on my birthday,” Chad put in. “First thing in the morning. Sometimes he would come into my room and wake me up. Sometimes I would come down for breakfast and he would be there, with his guitar. He wouldn’t even say ‘good morning’ until he’d sung Las Mañanitas.”

Orihime’s spirits lifted a little. “See? That’s exactly what I’m talking about!”

Rukia crossed her arms over her chest. “Renji gets up at the crack of dawn. I’m certainly not going over to his place to sing at him while he mixes up his horrible protein beverages.”

“Well, it wouldn’t have to be exactly that,” Orihime went on. “I just thought, since his birthday was coming up in a few weeks, maybe we could throw him a party here, in the World of the Living that was… I don’t know… a little more heartfelt than just going out drinking.”

“I think that’s a very thoughtful idea, Inoue,” Uryuu said.

“Oh! I was worried you wouldn’t want to help, because… you know.”

“I had a row with Ryuuken last week,” Uryuu sniffed. “I’m honestly in the mood to do something nice for a shinigami. Besides, it’s Abarai, he doesn’t really count anymore.” He paused for a moment. “You either, of course, Kuchiki.”

“You wanna have it at my house?” Ichigo offered. “Since me and Tatsuki are the only ones with backyards, and I don’t imagine Tatsuki would want to explain this to her mom.”

“I appreciate that,” Tatsuki put in. “I can help though, if you want. In my family, we like to decorate, and I still have a bunch of streamers and balloons left over from last week.” She gestured at Orihime’s drawing. “We could probably make him a banner or something out of that. It’s pretty good!”

“Oh, that’s such a good idea!” Orihime exclaimed. She should have known her friends would be helpful. She flipped to a new page on her notepad, and began to write things down.

“I can help decorate!” Kon piped up. “I am very artistic, you know!”

“I can bring my guitar,” Chad offered. “I don’t know if Abarai wants to hear me sing…”

Ichigo shoved him in the shoulder. “Shut up. We always want to hear you sing and you never do. If Renji doesn’t want to hear you sing, he’s got no taste and also, he can suck it.”

Rukia rubbed her forehead, like she felt a headache coming on. “Renji goes to all his friends’ poetry readings and community theater and open mic nights. I am sure he would be overjoyed to be serenaded by Chad.”

“What about you, Uryuu?” Orihime asked. “I know you and your father don’t get along, but is there anything that you associate with feeling special on your birthday?”

Uryuu’s face contorted for a moment. “Ah, there is, but I’m sure it’s not helpful.”

“Maybe it will give us an idea,” Chad prodded.

Uryuu frowned. “Well, when I was very small, my mother used to make me a new kimono every year. She was… a very skilled seamstress.” He frowned. “I don’t have Abarai’s measurements, and besides, he couldn’t take it back to Soul Society anyway.”

Kon perked up. “Ichigo! Ichigo, are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

Ichigo jabbed a finger Uryuu. “Yuzu just got a bedazzler and she has a ton of t-shirt paint! We could bedazzle him a t-shirt! For his gigai! I’ll even keep it in my closet for him with all of Rukia’s crap!”

“Kurosaki, no,” Uryuu insisted.

“Kurosaki, yes,” Ichigo insisted. “It’s like you’ve never even met the man. I’m gonna make the most Renji t-shirt you’ve ever seen and he’s gonna love it so hard he’ll make me his new best friend.”

“I want to help,” Chad put in.

“You may,” Ichigo replied magnanimously.

“It was my idea-- whoa, Rukia, watch out!” Kon cried as he went tumbling to the ground.

Rukia was practically crawling over Chad, trying to punch Ichigo in the head. “He’s my best friend, you ass!”

“He is for now,” Ichigo replied ominously.

“You are my beloved protege, but I will end you, Kurosaki.”

“Kuchiki-san?” Orihime asked tentatively. “Do you think you could come up with a way to get him to come here? I think it should be a surprise, so you would probably have to make up a story...I understand if you don’t want to.”

Rukia looked up from where she was half-hanging over Chad’s shoulder. “Of course I can do that. I love lying to Renji. He can usually tell when I’m lying to him, but he’ll go along with whatever I say anyway.”

“Oh, good!” Orihime replied, a wave of relief washing over her. She had no idea how they would get Renji here otherwise. Mr. Urahara, maybe. Maybe.

Rukia’s brows creased as she rearranged herself to sit on the back of the couch between Chad and Ichigo. “Did you think I would say no?”

“Well… it didn’t seem like you thought this was a very good idea.”

Rukia’s cheeks colored and she waved her hands. “No, no! It’s not that at all! I think it’s a great idea! It’s really sweet of all of you. Renji’s so easy-going, people always… never mind! I’ll help however I can!”

“Try to find out what meal he might like,” Uryuu suggested. Kon was now sitting on his head. “That sounded nice and I can help cook.”

“That’s a no-brainer,” Rukia replied. “He hasn’t stopped talking about Chad’s burritos since the Advance Team mission ended.”

“Burritos are easy,” Chad agreed, “especially if Uryuu helps.”

“What about you, Rukia?” Tatsuki asked. “You have a brother, right? What do you do for family birthdays in Soul Society?”

Ichigo made a Big Yikes face, and Rukia shoved him in the head again. Orihime had stayed with the Kuchiki siblings when she was training in Soul Society, and while Byakuya could be pretty stiff, she was under the impression that he and Rukia were both working to have a better relationship.

“Kuchiki birthdays are very formal,” Rukia said regally, and then frowned. “Mostly, a bunch of Honored Relatives come over for dinner and you have to wear fancy clothes and it’s kind of a pain.” She thought for a moment. “Brother gave me a beautiful set of colored pencils for my last birthday. It’s hard to buy him presents, because he’s so particular and he usually just buys the things that he wants. He writes a lot of letters, though, so I went to my favorite stationery store and bought him some pretty paper I thought he would like. I figured that if I picked wrong, he could just use it to send letters to people he hates.” Rukia’s eyes softened. “He really liked it, actually. I guess he’s not very used to getting gifts that people have spent any time thinking about.”

“Thoughtful gifts are such a nice idea!” Orihime nodded eagerly.

“It’s hard, though,” Uryuu added, “because of the whole matter conversion issue.”

“What,” Ichigo bit off, “is not thoughtful about a t-shirt covered in rhinestones?”

“If all of you help me think of something, I will buy it for him back in Soul Society,” Rukia promised. “Not sunglasses, though. I already bought him sunglasses.”

“Isn’t his birthday, like a month away?” Ichigo frowned.

“Sometimes I plan ahead! Shut up!” Rukia scowled. “Brother and I also like to make each other cards. Brother is an amazing artist, obviously, mine hardly compare to his, but he is very gracious about my efforts.”

“Oh, that’s a wonderful idea, Rukia!” Orihime agreed, writing down “cards” on her notes. She looked over her list. “I think this is shaping up to be a very good birthday!”

---

“Thanks for agreeing to come along,” Rukia said to Renji when he showed up at her front door on the morning of August 31. “How’s your head?”

“I feel great, but I hydrate tirelessly and also, I wasn’t the one who got into a drinking contest with Captain Komamura. How’s your head?”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Rukia replied.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to just go? I’m sure I can-- did I read your text right? Ichigo got his soul stuck in Kon’s lion body and we have to go get him out? I… can probably handle that if you need to stay home and sleep it off.”

“Learn to read, oaf. Ichigo got his soul stuck in Kon’s lion body and we are going to laugh at him. Obviously, I wouldn’t miss that for anything.”

“Ahhhh, okay, that makes a lot more sense!”

“C’mon, we should get moving before Orihime takes pity on him or something.” She waved him inside. “Don’t worry, Brother said it was fine to use the family senkaimon.”

“Ah, good morning, Captain!” Renji said, his voice bright with nervous energy.

Rukia turned around and blinked. Sure enough, Byakuya was looming in the foyer. He had definitely not been in the entry thirty seconds ago.

“Good morning, Lieutenant,” Byakuya replied. “How delightful to see you in my house on a Sunday morning.”

“Brother, we talked about this,” Rukia pressed. “We had a whole discussion.”

Byakuya ignored her and plowed on. “I did not expect to see you today, but since you are here, I have something for you.” He held out a handsome, hardcover book. Gingerly, Renji accepted it and frowned at the cover. “It is the next book in the Tales of the Iron Army series,” Byakuya explained. “You are a fan of that series, are you not?”

Renji’s mouth gaped a little. “This isn’t… out… yet…”

“The publisher is an acquaintance of mine,” Byakuya said, looking off into the middle distance. “He offered me an advance copy, so I asked for two.”

“Uh, um, thanks, sir!” Renji managed.

“Think nothing of it,” Byakuya said stiffly. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I am extremely busy this morning.”

Rukia stared, gape-mouthed at the spot where Byakuya had been standing a moment previous. She wasn’t allowed to use shunpo in the house.

“What?” Renji choked out.

“Sometimes people just give him things,” Rukia shrugged, trying to play it off, but secretly fuming. She had told Byakuya that Renji was coming over and to (1) not mention his birthday and (2) not be weird. 0 for 2, Brother.

“Rukia,” Renji reiterated, and when she finally looked over, he was holding up a little slip of cardstock that had apparently been tucked into the front cover of the book. On it was painted a little watercolor Wakame Ambassador. He was wearing a humorous hat. In Byakuya’s immaculate calligraphy were the words ‘Congratulations. You are now older. You will still never defeat me.’ Renji stared at Rukia, as if this were somehow her fault. “W-h-a-t?” he mouthed very slowly and deliberately, no actual sound coming out of his mouth.

“Give me that!” Rukia snapped, grabbing both the book and the card out of his hand. “I told him we were going to the Living World, I don’t know why he couldn’t have given you this when we got back. Mikan!”

Rukia’s loyal maid immediately appeared at her elbow. “Yes, miss?”

Renji blinked. “How does everyone in this house move like that?”

“Hold onto this for Renji until we get back, okay? You can put it with the, um, other stuff.”

“Yes, miss.”

“What other stuff?” Renji asked, a grin tugging at the side of his mouth.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You just said ‘put it with the other stuff’?”

“No, I didn’t.”

“You must have misheard, Lieutenant Abarai,” Mikan added sweetly.

“Maybe you should clean your ears out once in a while, dummy,” Rukia suggested.

“Are we really going to the Living World today, or was it just a ploy to get me over here?” Renji asked, doing a double take when he realized that Mikan had disappeared again.

“We’re really going!” Rukia protested, marching into the bowels of the house. “‘A ploy’, ha! You wish.”

“It is my birthday,” Renji pointed out, sounding a little suspicious.

“And we had your birthday party last night! What more do you want?”

“Nothing, actually! Very good birthday, as birthdays go!” He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. “Thanks for coming, by the way.”

Rukia rolled her eyes. “As if I wouldn’t come.”

Renji shrugged. “Well…you didn’t, for a long time. And those weren’t as fun. So thanks. For coming.”

Rukia opened her mouth and then closed it again. She didn’t know what to say to that.

Fortunately, Renji had a keen instinct for changing the subject when things got awkward. “Were you there when Rangiku’s boob fell out? She says that since it was the right one, it’s a sign that this is going to be an auspicious year for me.”

“I did! I was talking to Momo and we were basically at Ground Zero when it happened! I can’t believe Hisagi was in the restroom.”

“He’s probably still sobbing about it.”

They continued to recap the best parts of the party as they traveled through the senkaimon and picked up their gigai from Urahara’s, but there was something nagging at Rukia, something that had been nagging at her ever since Orihime, with her giant, squishy heart, had suggested that Renji deserved something better on his birthday, something which Rukia knew was unequivocally true.

“Oi, Renji,” she said suddenly as they turned onto Ichigo’s street. Renji was in the middle of a story about Iba’s sideburns, but she’d heard it before, and they both knew he was only telling it to fill the time.

“Eh?” he replied.

“I, uh, I just wanted to say, I’m sorry that our birthdays were so shitty growing up,” she said quickly. “Sorry in the sympathy sense, not the guilt sense. We were just kids, it’s not like there’s much more we could have done. Just... it sucked and it’s not fair and I’m sorry.”

Renji was staring at her with a look of mild horror on his face. “You thought our birthdays sucked?”

Rukia stared back at him. “They weren’t great, that’s for sure.”

Renji’s face fell a little. “Oh. I’m sorry you feel that way. We… we did try, you know. I remember stealing blankets for your birthday, to make sure we had enough for all of us. We always used to try to make sure we had something to eat that day, too.”

Rukia flushed. “I wasn’t talking about me, dummy!” She paused. “You did? Crap. Now I feel even worse.”

“My birthday’s in August,” Renji shrugged. “We didn’t need to worry about freezing our asses off. And we almost always managed to do something fun that day. Going fishing or making a bonfire or lying on the roof and looking at the stars.” Renji gave a rueful little chuckle. “You know, it’s fun when everyone gets together to get smashed on my birthday, but there are so many people and you can hardly hear what anyone is saying. Those old days… I dunno. I guess maybe they just felt a little more personal. When we were here on Tatsuki and Ichigo’s birthday, Orihime was telling me about family birthdays, and I think our old birthdays were a lot like that. Just some nice time spent with the people I like best.”

“You’re such a sap,” Rukia said, trying to keep her voice from wobbling.

“Like you didn’t know that,” Renji snorted. “I’m definitely gonna give Ichigo a hard time, but I’m actually kinda glad he managed to pull this bonehead move on my actual birthday. It’s a good excuse to come see him, and I got to spend a little quality time with you, to boot. Was kinda nice to see the captain, actually, even though he made a quick exit.” Renji sucked his teeth for a moment. “After we get Ichigo sorted, I don’t ‘spose you’d mind taking a little stroll around town and seeing what the other kids are up to today?”

Rukia had her hand on the gate that led to the Kurosaki back yard. “That… could probably be arranged.” She pushed the gate open.

“SURPRISE!”

Confetti filled the air. Someone was blowing an air horn. Everyone (except Uryuu) was wearing very bedazzled t-shirts. Even Kon, sitting on Chad’s shoulder, wore a tiny one with an even tinier lion on it.

“Happy birthday, Renji!”

“Happy birthday, you old geezer!”

“We made you burritos!”

Rukia looked up at Renji. He had one hand clapped over his mouth and his eyes were wide. “Happy birthday, dumbass,” she said softly.

“Excuse me, I will be right back,” Renji said, turning on his heel and walking out the gate.

Orihime’s eyes went wide. “Oh, no! What did we do?”

Rukia held up her hands. “Just give him a second, he’s fine.”

The Karakura kids barely had time to exchange worried glances when Renji burst back in through the gate, at full volume. “What the Hell is this?” he roared. “And where did you get those t-shirts?”

“We made them!” Ichigo shouted back, and thrust a poorly wrapped bundle into Renji’s hands. “We made you one, too!”

Renji enthusiastically tore open his present and held up its contents. “Rukia,” he gasped. “Rukia, look.”

“Chad drew the Hihiou Zabimaru,” Ichigo explained proudly. “I was the one who wrote ‘OH YEAH!!’”

“It’s so beautiful,” Renji sniffed. “Here, Rukia, hold this!” He shoved the shirt into Rukia’s arms and immediately began to wrestle off the one he was currently wearing.

“Uh… buddy…” Tatsuki frowned, trying to throw her hand up in front of Orihime’s eyes, but also unable to tear her eyes away. “That is… a lot… of tattoos…”

“It’s okay, we’ve all seen it,” Orihime reassured her, pushing Tatsuki’s hand away.

“Never mind seeing it again,” Kon added philosophically.

“How does it look?” Renji asked, once he’d gotten dressed again. He was flexing his biceps for good measure.

“It’s a little tight,” Rukia replied, but it didn’t stop her from looking.

“That’s how hot people wear their clothes, Rukia,” Ichigo informed her. “Get with it.”

“I love this so much!” Renji declared, looking down at his own torso again. “I can’t believe you all made this for me. I am so happy!”

“Brace yourself, Abarai,” Uryuu said, “but this is about 1% of the birthday festivities Orihime planned for you.”

Orihime’s cheeks turned pink and she waved her hands frantically. “Everyone chipped in, I hardly did anything!”

“We know you don’t like cake, so we put a candle in a burrito for you,” Ichigo said, jerking his thumb toward the picnic table. “Come sit in front of it, so Chad can sing you your birthday song.”

“We saved you the lawn chair without any wobbly legs,” Kon added generously.

On his way past, Renji slung his arm around Orihime’s shoulders. “Thanks, kid,” he murmured.

Orihime looked up at him. “You’re our friend and I just wanted you to know how special we think you are on your birthday.”

Renji stared at her for a moment, an expression on his face like he wasn’t sure how to make words come out. Suddenly, he tightened his elbow around his neck and crashed the knuckles of his other hand fiercely into her scalp. “I love all of you, too!” he laughed.

“You can’t noogie Orihime!” Ichigo and Tatsuki yelled at the same time, and promptly tripped over each other in an attempt to tackle him. Uryuu flung a pinecone at Renji’s head. With his typical perfect aim, it would have been a direct hit, except that Kon had leapt from Chad’s shoulder directly into its trajectory and got beaned in the face instead.

Orihime was laughing and shouting “That tickles, that tickles!” Renji was cackling. Chad stood, dumbfounded, his guitar hanging around his neck.

“Rukia… avenge us…” Ichigo groaned from the ground.

“On one hand, it’s his birthday and Renji should get to noogie whomever he wants,” Rukia declared loftily. “On the other hand, Orihime is a precious angel. On the third hand, suck it, Abarai!”

She launched herself at him.

[hibiscusangel15]

Home

My first fic for @irquadforce​ Ichiruki Week 2021! I have another one-shot planned to release this week, too, so watch out for that!

Day 4 Prompt: “Come on, let’s go home.”

Summary: The Kurosaki family had always welcomed Rukia into their lives. There was never any distinction between their home and her place in it. She belonged there. She belonged with their family.

So why did it pain her to learn that Ichigo would soon leave it all behind? For Day 4 of Ichiruki Week 2021.

Rating: General

*Also crossposted to AO3 and FFN!

If you like my fic, please consider buying me a coffee!

The shift from Ichigo saying “Let’s head back to my place” to “Let’s go home, Rukia” had been so subtle.  When had he started treating his home like something they could share?  A space that was theirs as much as it was his family’s?

The other members of the Kurosaki family acted much the same, too.  During that month Ichigo went off to train to control his inner Hollow, Rukia had helped the Kurosaki family out with household chores much more often.

Grocery shopping with Yuzu was always interesting. Rukia never realized humans had this many snacks to choose from. At the end of every trip, Yuzu would smile at their haul and say, “We’ve got everything, Rukia-chan! Let’s go home and make a great dinner!”

Rukia also assisted the Kurosaki patriarch in their small clinic every chance she could get.  Isshin seemed surprised she could handle all that blood without batting an eye, but didn’t press the matter when she couldn’t think of a proper excuse as to why.

In the lull after they left the patients to rest, Isshin turned to her and said, “I think we’ve handled everything we could, Rukia-chan. Let’s head on home now.”

Even when Rukia picked up Karin from the park, Karin would always complain, “Aw, why do we have to go home already? It’s still light out! C’mon, tell Dad I wanna play some more!”

There was never any distinction between their home and her place in it. She belonged there. She belonged with their family.

And they still welcomed her with open arms even after they discovered that she was a Shinigami.  Perhaps they were so used to opening up their home to injured strangers that bringing her in was merely second nature to them.

It was comforting to know that there was always someplace where she was welcome in this world. In those seventeen months spent far, far away from the Kurosaki Clinic, she hadn’t felt that same sense of comfort or ease. Her brother’s estate was grand and magnificent, as befitting of a noble’s property. And yet, it didn’t feel quite like home. It was too quiet here. Too pristine. The servants did not allow her to help them whatsoever, often ushering her away to attend to her lieutenant duties instead.

The Kurosaki household was the complete opposite. Their house felt lived-in and lively. Less like a preserved space of noble history and more a proper home. The kind she had seen the wealthier, makeshift families in Rukongai set up for themselves. The kind she always wanted to be a part of.

With Ichigo prepping for entrance exams and Rukia's duties to attend to, however, she’d had far less time to visit the World of the Living lately.  Coordinating days for them to “hang out”, as Ichigo had put it, proved more frustrating than expected.  They were both swamped with work, her more so than him.

It only made the spare time she was able to spend in his world all the more precious to her.  Even the most mundane activities felt nice, so long as she could spend it with him and his family.

Take today's visit, for instance.  His family wanted hot pot for dinner to celebrate Rukia returning to them.  Unfortunately, they didn’t have enough ingredients for it.

Rather than hand off the shopping to Yuzu or his dad, Ichigo volunteered to go get the groceries instead.  Yuzu pouted at this, but  tried her best to explain how to shop for the best deals in their area.

Ichigo ruffled her hair dismissively.  “Yeah, yeah. You’ve been over it with me like a million times. I'll figure it out once I move out, Yuzu.”

At this, Rukia blinked. “Move out?”

“Yeah, the school I’m going to requires all freshmen to stay in the dorms, so I’ll be on my own for a while,” he said with a shrug. “I’m trying to learn how to budget and plan for meals and stuff. I can’t rely on Yuzu forever.”

“I’ve been teaching him to cook, too!” Yuzu said with bright eyes. “He’s getting better!”

“Hey! I was always decent at least...right?”

Rukia watched as his sisters teased and laughed at him.  She tried to smile. Tried not to let this change affect her so much.

This was only natural. Humans did not live with their families forever. She knew this. Knew that one by one each member of the Kurosaki family would grow up and grow on to lead their own lives.

She just never expected it to end so soon.

Ichigo flicked Karin in the forehead and left both sisters yelling at him in his wake. “Ugh, sorry about them, Rukia. They’re more obnoxious than usual today.”

“Hey! We are not!”

He snorted. “C’mon, Rukia.  I’ll buy you some candy or something, if you want.”

Rukia smiled weakly as she followed him to the door. “Oh, yes, that would be nice.”

Their shopping went by much faster than she expected. Despite all his griping earlier, he’d definitely taken all of Yuzu’s advice to heart. They even had a little money left over for some extra treats.

They exited the shop with large plastic bags full of vegetables and meat, the aforementioned candy and some cans of juice sitting on top.  Ichigo hefted the bags up experimentally.  “Huh, is this what Yuzu carries home all the time?  It’s a lot. She’s stronger than I thought.”

“Mhm.”

He paused. “You okay, Rukia?”

“Hm?” She looked up at him. “Oh, yes. Just lost in thought.”

“About what?”

“O-Oh, um….”

How was she to tell him that he had carved a place for her in his home?  That without him in it, as warm and wonderful as it could be, there would always be something missing?  How could she explain that this was the one place she felt she truly fit?

How could she say that she didn’t want any of that to end without sounding completely selfish?

“It’s nothing.”

Ichigo stared at her for a moment longer. He probably knew she was lying, but he wouldn’t push it. It made her feel even worse.

He hefted the grocery bags up again.  “Come on. Let’s go home.”

Rukia’s gaze fell. Was this going to be the last time she’d hear him say that?

She shook the thought away. This  was ridiculous.  She’d still be able to visit him now and again.  It’d just be in a dorm room instead of the Kurosaki household.

What was that human saying? Home is where the heart is?

There was no reason for her to feel like this if she could easily make a home with him anywhere. This would not be like those seventeen months without him. He had his Shinigami powers back. He could see her.

So long as they were with each other, everything would be alright.

She took a deep breath and looked straight ahead. They always worked these things out. This would be no different.

Suddenly, Ichigo laughed to himself.

She frowned up at him. “What?”

“You look like you made your mind up about something.  The look on your face was cute, is all.”

“Huh?!” Her face flushed and she quickly dipped her head so most of it was hidden under her pink scarf.

He laughed once more then shifted the grocery bags to his other hand.  He then offered her his free hand without a word.

After a moment of stubborn refusal, Rukia took it with a blustery sigh.  Ichigo had no idea what this even was about.  But he always knew how to make her feel better regardless.

She tightened her grip on his hand. “Thank you.”

“Yeah.”

                                                     *  *  *

Rukia had promised to set aside time the day he planned to move out to help him and his family. When she stepped out of the Senkaimon, however, she was shocked to see another one lying open outside the Kurosaki clinic. Had another Shinigami decided to pay Ichigo a visit? Renji would’ve accompanied her if he wanted to come, right?

“Rukia-chan!” Yuzu called from the door.  She carried a box of Ichigo’s things as she ran over to her.

“Hey, Yuzu-chan. Did someone from Soul Society come through here?” Rukia asked, gesturing at the open Senkaimon.

Yuzu tilted her head. “Huh? Didn’t Ichi-nii tell you?”

Before Rukia could ask what she meant, Ichigo stepped out with several boxes stacked in his arms.  He smiled the moment he met her eyes.  “Hey, Rukia! Great timing! I’m gonna need your help with this when we get to my dorm.”

“Huh?”

He set the boxes down and wiped the sweat off his brow.  “I told you I’m attending the Shinigami Academy, right?”

Rukia blinked. “The Shinigami Academy? You aren’t attending a human university?”

“No?” He frowned at her. “I figured continuing a human education was kinda pointless considering the whole thing with Aizen and my reiatsu being this strong anyway. Might as well become an actual Shinigami once and for all.”

“But what about your body?”

Ichigo shrugged. “I’m taking it with me. Can’t have Kon running around doing God knows what with it while I’m gone. Even if I’ll be able to visit my house every now and then.”

“...I see.”

So he wasn’t planning to move away completely.  She would still have a place here, after all.

They glanced back when they heard something heavy hit against the wall.

Chad hauled out Ichigo’s entire bed frame, mattress and all in one arm. One of the legs hit the doorframe hard enough to dent it a bit.

“Chad! You gotta be more careful!” Ichigo groaned when Chad set the bedframe down.

Chad rubbed the back of his neck.  “Sorry.”

“Why are you bringing video games to Soul Society?” Ishida complained as he hauled out a couple handheld consoles and some games. “You do realize that your school’s not going to have charger outlets, right?”

Ichigo scratched his head. “It’s just something to do for when I have free time. Besides, I figure I can learn some kind of lightning Kido to charge it back up again.”

“That’s not how lightning works, idiot.”

“Aw, what? Does that mean I have to come back to Karakura every time I want something charged again?” Ichigo whined.

Inoue and Tatsuki popped out behind Ishida, each carrying two boxes of stuff.

“Got all your books, Kurosaki-kun!” Inoue announced with a cheerful smile.

Tatsuki made a face. “Damn, Ichigo, I didn’t know you were such an otaku.”

“I’m not an otaku! There’s more than just manga in there, you know,” he grumbled.

“Yeah, yeah. No need to get all defensive.”

“Neeeerd! Ichigo’s a big, fat neeeeerd!” Keigo yelled as he brought out a plastic container of clothes.

Mizuiro walked out with his phone in hand and nothing else. “Hey, Rukia-chan!”

She smiled at them all. “You’ve come to see him off.”

“Of course! We’re gonna be busy at our universities, too, so this is our last chance to hang out for a while!” Inoue said.

“Except for Keigo here. He’s taking a gap year because he doesn’t know what to do with his life,” Mizuiro pointed out.

Keigo’s jaw dropped. “Mizuiro!  You were supposed to keep that a secret!”

“It’s not a big deal. I’m undeclared, too.”

Ichigo smirked. “You guys sure you can handle all the Hollows that pop up while I’m gone?”

Ishida pushed his glasses up his nose. “What makes you think we can’t?”

“Of course we will!” Inoue said at the same time, throwing him a thumbs-up. “Ishida-kun and Sado-kun and I have been training to pick up your slack! And there’s also Imoyama-san!”

It seemed mean to misname the resident Shinigami on duty while he wasn’t here to defend himself, but Rukia smiled anyway.

Tatsuki stepped up and jabbed a thumb to her chest. “Don't forget that Karin and I have been training with Urahara, too! We’re both going to join the Karakura Defense Squad soon enough.”

Ishida scowled at her. “What?  I wasn’t aware we had a name. Karakura Defense Squad is stupid.”

“But I came up with that name…” Inoue muttered.

Ishida turned away. “…Karakura Defense Squad it is.”

Both Ichigo and Tatsuki deadpanned. "Dude…."

Isshin and Karin carried a few more boxes out, immediately separating the crowd of teenagers. “Whew, you kids have way too much energy. You could’ve helped carry the rest of these out.”

“Sorry.”

Ichigo snorted. “We’re gonna have to make multiple trips anyway, Dad. You didn’t have to bring all my stuff out at once.”

Isshin waved him away. “It’s easier this way! Besides, your friends have those tickets to the Soul Society, so they can help carry your things to your dorm.”

“What about you?”

“Someone's gotta watch  Yuzu and Karin.”

“We can take care of ourselves, Dad,” Karin snapped. "Stop treating us like little kids."

“Don’t say that! You’re gonna make me feel old!”

Rukia laughed to herself as she picked up a nearby box.  She was certainly going to miss this lively atmosphere.  As long as Ichigo was by her side, however, she'd still be content with wherever he chose to live.

She smiled up at him. “Come on. Let’s go home.”

Ichigo returned the grin easily, and together, the two stepped through to their new future.

[mangekyuou]

                                             HATE ━ﾞ

⁺◟   CHARACTERS . . .           hozuki suigetsu           fem!reader           jugo           uchiha sasuke           uzumaki karin

⁺◟   GENRE . . .           angst           oneshot

⁺◟   SYNOPSIS . . .           suigetsu finds himself being jealous           of his teammates, jugo and sasuke,           for their closeness to the girl he cares           about the most, ( y/n ). but keeping           his jealousy to himself, makes him           bitter toward her.

⁺◟   CONTENT WARNINGS . . .           alluding to neglect ‘ brief mentions           of blood

⁺◟   WORD COUNT . . .           1.6k.

⁺◟   COMMENTARY . . .           we’re not going to talk about how i           got this request back in august and           i’m just now posting it. think of this           as a late christmas present. surprise           shawty !! i...am so sorry.

“I HATE YOU!”

The heart-wrenching scream of those three words, rang through his ears over and over and those around them, echoing through the hollow trees and into the air, scaring the birds away. The loud echoes, as they fell out of range was replaced by the soft sound of sniffles.

Sniffles from a young girl far beyond her breaking point.

Streams of tears flowed down her cheeks, her eyes red of anger...hate...sadness..and complete defeat. She dug her trembling fingernails deep into the skin of her palms, deep enough to draw a bit of blood hidden in the sleeves of her robe, as she stared at the boy in front of her.

Suigetsu stopped, he swallowed shallowly. His heart sank into the lower pit of his stomach as he listened to her scream those three words.

I. Hate. You.

“( y/n )...”

She didn’t mean that. She couldn’t have. There was no way. She never a problem with him for his annoying antics, rather somewhat encouraging of them. He always brought a smile to her face when he teased their fellow teammates or when he insulted his opponents.

It was quite easy for him to grow attached to her rather quickly. After all, they had shared the same birthplace and she understood the pain and losing someone dear. However, she shared something that no one else could.

The two had shared a dream, one both hard for them to obtain.

The dream of becoming one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist.

However ( y/n ) was unique, in a way Suigetsu would never understand. She was an outcast for something she could not control.

A Kirigakure kunoichi with a fire affinity and a lackluster talent in kenjutsu. She had become a disgrace to her own clan. Her childhood friends laughing in her face, rumors of her heritage and if she truly was a full-blooded member of her clan.

Those thoughts had stuck with her until she met Sasuke, to her a foreigner who didn’t care about her affinity nor her heritage just looking for a teammate to help him. How could she say no?

It was her chance to prove she could be strong. She could do it without any help from the people who pushed her aside. Her chance to prove she could be a swordsman despite her fire affinity and no natural talent in kenjutsu, all it took was hard work.

Upon being the last addition to Team Taka, not sharing a connection to Orochimaru like the others, she once again had felt left out until she proved herself to them. She bonded with each of them, especially Suigetsu, however, her feelings toward him had become more than friendly over time, as did his. He couldn’t think of the set moment he knew he loved her, but he knew the set moment he discovered what jealousy was.

A vile feeling crawled up his back, slithering up his spine, wrapping around him tightly and squeezing his insides like a constrictor at that moment. The moment he watched Jugo calm down from his murderous rage because of ( y/n ) gentle touch and words. Suigetsu could only watch with his vile feeling begin to pile onto him.

He was jealous of how ( y/n ) had touched him.

He was jealous of how ( y/n ) had spoken so softly to him.

He was jealous of how close ( y/n ) was to him.

Jugo too was like her in some way. It was obvious the two had soft spots for one another. The only continued to grow close after the incident. ( y/n ) asking for rides on his back when her feet ached from walking too long, Jugo giving her flowers and helping her with animals, it got to Suigetsu.

His jealousy didn’t go unnoticed. Karin picked up on it easily, simply because of her own jealousy between ( y/n ) and Sasuke, noticing how he wasn’t as harsh on the fire affinity kunoichi as he seemed to be on the others.

Jealousy piled up and upon him for weeks and weeks, beginning to wear him thin. It caused him to be bitter and belittling. Harsh sentences leaving his mouth and into the ears of the girl he had loved the most. Sentences that broke her down one by one.

“( y/n ), stop being weak.”

“Stay out of the way damnit!”

“You’re going to get us all killed, then what?”

“Can’t believe the Uchiha recruited such a weak kunoichi.”

“Give me a break, ( y/n ). Some of us can actually wield a sword without struggling.”

“Jugo, your pathetic girlfriend needs you.”

And the one that has sent her beyond the breaking point.

“Is this why you ran away?”

As the question left his mouth in the middle of an argument, he noticed the change in her body language. How her face had softened, even if it was only for a brief moment. He could see just on the outside how her heart fell. “TOO FAR,” Jugo growled through his teeth. Sasuke could scold him, ( y/n ) raised a hand to stop him, her voice losing its emotion before landing a hard slap across the purple-eyed boy’s face before she screamed those words.

I. Hate. You.

She continued, “All you...all you ever do is insult and belittle me. You...you make me feel like the scum of the earth sometimes. You’re so damn mean! I can endure it...I can. But I’m only human. I make mistakes, I bleed when I fall down, I do dumb things sometimes. I’m sorry I’m not perfect.”

She wrapped her hands around her side, the blood from her clawed skin, smearing on the cotton fabric of her robe. He had never seen her like this, so upset, so hurt, so turned down.

And it was all his fault. He did this to her. He had caused her the pain, this hurt. He didn’t realize what he was saying, unaware of her entire past. He was left in the dark, as ( y/n ) was ashamed. Now what he hadn't known ruined the friendship he had with the one he cared about the most.

He was beyond stupid. This dumb jealousy. His stupid teenage boy hormones, making him push her away. The opposite of what he wanted.

He wanted to hold her close, be able to rest his head on her shoulder, and complain about the world around him. Yet he didn’t show that, rather he made it seem as if he hated her. Now he was the reason she was crying...no breaking down.

Out of habit, he reached out to touch her as he ignored the lingering stinging of his red cheek. He was more worried about ( y/n ). She stepped back a few steps, lowering her head.

“( y/n ), I—” Suigetsu started again only to hear her voice once more. Saving him the embarrassment of stumbling over his words. He didn’t have a clue of what he was going to say. He didn’t even know to apologize.

“What have I ever done to you to make you treat me like this? I know I’m not the most skilled in kenjutsu and my fire affinity holds me back, but I’m trying my best! I’m doing the best I can. To help Taka! To help Sasuke, Karin, and Jugo! To help you! WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!” She cried, “We’re a team. All of us, together. Yet you don’t treat me like I’m part of it. I want nothing to do with a team that doesn’t accept me.”

“( y/n )!” Karin perked up. Her red eyes focused on the team’s leader who had leaned against a tree watching the scene unfolding before him. He understood what she was saying, what she was hinting at. Each of them did. But even if they didn’t want her to go, it was her choice and they couldn’t force one upon her. They were criminals but they weren’t monsters.

( y/n ) turned her back to Suigetsu no longer wanting to see those purple eyes and sharp-edged teeth of his. Ones that brought memories, both beautiful and painful. Memories that made her smile, memories that made her cry. Memories that made her fall in love with him, memories that made her hate him.

What happened to the boy she had fallen for?

She bowed lowly to Sasuke, “Forgive me.” With those words she was off, being chased after by Jugo.

“WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!” Karin screamed at the only Kirigakure native left, “( y/n ) is the kindest out of the five of us yet you treat her like dirt! If you like her then tell her that! Insulting and belittling someone isn’t how you get them to fall for you too. If it were up to me, I think you don’t deserve her!”

Her words stung, but she was right. He didn’t deserve her, he never did. Even now he couldn’t run after her as Jugo did.

Sasuke looked his teammate up and down, “Like her? That’s why you try to size both Jugo and I up when we are aiding ( y/n ). Suigetsu, ( y/n ) has no interest in me or Jugo. And if you didn’t notice it truly shows how blind you have become. If ( y/n ) doesn’t come back with Jugo I doubt he’ll forgive you. Neither will I.”

“Or me,” Karin added, leaving it at that. The boy was alone with his thoughts. His thoughts of her and her broken expression.

‘WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!’

He fell to his knees, tears flooding down his face. He gripped the roots of his white hair, hard enough to rip, as his bottom lip quivered.

“What have I done?”

⁺◟   BACK TO NAVIGATION . . .

[catflorist]

The Time Being (ao3 / ffn) catflorist Summary: Time-slipping is a side effect of wielding the Rinnegan. When Sasuke slips through time, he always goes to Sakura, whether he wants to or not. 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8

pt 6: time

Whispers ignited, naming the figure before them.

Here was the sole survivor of the Uchiha massacre. The former Konoha genin with promising skill and power. The rogue nin, the traitor. The Akatsuki member, the criminal, the political adversary and enemy to the village.

Sasuke turned his head to scan the crowd. He stopped when his eyes found Sakura's.

Here was Sasuke, in the same place and time as her.

"I'm here to fight alongside you," he announced. He was speaking to everyone, but looking at Sakura.

Sakura couldn't move. Everywhere around her, a wave was crashing.

Naruto darted towards Sasuke, buzzing with joy. His loud voice carried as he introduced himself to Sasuke's three teammates.

Sakura took a short step forward and halted. Her chakra network hummed with energy, swirling within the internal reserves she had created and filled to the brim over the past five years. It was time for every long, drawn out thing she had been waiting for to unfold at once.

Just over the rocky ledge, the battle was calling. Impatient, and finished with introductions and reintroductions, Naruto bounded away to join the fight.

Sasuke was waiting. "Sakura. Aren't you coming?"

With that, she knew where they stood. The wind stirred his long hair––long enough to tie back, though he hadn't decided to yet. He wasn't the man who had offered her his cloak, but he was the closest she had ever seen.

"Sasuke-kun," she sighed out, eyes falling shut. "I need a moment…"

With three deep breaths, the seal grew into existence on the center of her brow.

When she opened her eyes, Sasuke was smiling at her.

They entered the fray together.

.

.

Gripping Obito's shoulders, Sakura released her seal. With her borrowed energy, Obito harnessed the power of his Rinnegan and tore a portal into the air.

They flitted between dimensions, searching for Sasuke. Snowflakes blew into their faces, then the scent of a forest, then a puff of hot dry air.

Sakura gasped. "There!"

Sasuke stood on the tip of a distant sand dune. Sakura couldn't hear a thing with how loudly the blood pumped in her ears. She tightened her hold on Obito and burned through her chakra, funneling it all into him. Obito grunted with the desperate effort of keeping the portal open. His shoulders shook under Sakura's touch.

Sasuke raced towards them, kicking up clouds of red sand in his wake.

The portal flickered shut like a breath to a flame. No, she thought.

She didn't know she was falling back until something solid and warm stopped her fall.

Sasuke's mismatched eyes, two deep wells of red and purple, met hers.

"Yokatta," she breathed. Sasuke squeezed her shoulder. Though they had not touched in years, he held her perfectly, with a surety and firmness that made Sakura feel weightless. Her head fell back upon the crook of his neck.

"Hm. You lied to me, Sasuke," Obito said.

"Takes a liar to know one," Sasuke said. Tucked so close, Sakura felt the vibration of his voice in his throat.

"For me, it was two people," Obito said, standing. "My old teammates."

Sakura did not know what this meant. She lifted her head. Sasuke pressed her more firmly to his side.

Obito addressed Sakura. "You okay, kid? You've got quite a lot of chakra, but that was rough."

"I'm fine now," she said, righting herself on her feet. Sasuke's hand did not drop from her arm. "Thank you for helping."

Obito nodded. Sakura glanced at Sasuke and only then did he let her go.

They fought together. They took down the moon.

Old rivalries outlasted the war. Sasuke and Naruto bristled as they faced each other, itching to continue an unresolved battle. The tomoe of Sasuke's Sharingan spun. Naruto clenched a fist, eyebrows drawn.

Sakura stepped between them. "Don't."

Naruto and Sasuke breathed heavily. Finally, Sasuke blinked. His eyes faded to their normal darkness. Naruto sighed, and the tension left his shoulders.

Sakura didn't use her strength. She didn't forcefully pull them apart. She asked, and they listened. Her word was the only convincing they needed.

Sakura lit her palms in green chakra. "Sit down. You both look a mess," she ordered. They obeyed. She knelt and healed them at the same time. When they were both in good shape, she healed the shallow scratch on Sasuke's cheek, though Tsunade would have called it a waste of chakra. At her touch on his face, Sasuke closed his eyes.

"You're both idiots." She meant to sound angry, but her voice shook. "What's the point in fighting each other? There are better battles."

Naruto's mouth twisted into a sheepish grin. He placed a hand on her back. "Sorry, Sakura-chan."

"I'm sorry for the pain I've caused you." Sasuke stared down at his clasped hands. "And that it's taken me so long."

Unable to speak, Sakura nodded. She sat between her boys. Kakashi approached and joined them.

They did not linger for long. They had a world to reawaken. But they spent a moment together in the silence. Enough time to mourn, to breathe, to watch a glimmer of light shine through the thick clouds.

.

.

The afternoon sun glared down on Sakura's back as she made her way through the loud and crowded allied forces encampment. She paused to shed her medic apron.

An insistent, waving hand caught her attention. "Sakura-chan!" Naruto shouted, sitting in the shade of a tent next to three other shinobi. "Come meet my new friends!"

Sakura wiped the sweat from her brow and drew closer. The faces of Sasuke's teammates came into focus.

"This is Suigetsu, Jugo, and Karin," Naruto announced, pointing. Suigetsu, polishing the blade of his sword with loving strokes, flashed a wide grin. Jugo blinked placidly in her direction and continued whittling a chunk of wood with a kunai. Karin looked to the left of Sakura's face and frowned.

"It's nice to meet you all," Sakura said, resisting an urge to rub the back of her neck. She was not nervous earlier, stabilizing the condition of a shinobi bleeding out on her operating table, but she was nervous now, facing Sasuke's teammates.

"You've got some blood in your hair," Karin remarked.

Sakura felt her face fall. "Oh," she said, a hand darting to find the offending strand.

Karin produced a cloth from her satchel, wet it with drinking water, and held it out with a smirk. Sakura accepted it with a rush of relief.

"Taka's been filling me in on what they've been up to," Naruto explained. Karin shifted in the tent's shadow, leaving room for Sakura to sit.

"Traveling, fighting, crime," Suigetsu summarized with a wink in Sakura's direction.

"Bickering," Jugo supplied, flicking away a curl of wood from the form in his hands.

Naruto barked out a laugh, and a grin rose to Sakura's face. "What about?" she asked. They also shared memories of bickering with Sasuke.

Karin's head snapped to the side, aiming a loaded look at Suigetsu.

Suigetsu sulked. "We have a difference in opinion about meal preparation."

"And why is that?" Karin prompted.

"Sasuke says 'onion skins aren't edible' and I'll 'ruin the meal,' or whatever," Suigetsu explained, with a passable impression of Sasuke's voice. "I'm not allowed to cook anymore. Can you believe that, Sakura-chan?" he asked.

"How awful," Sakura said with a smile, smoothing her hair.

"You missed a spot," Karin said. "Let me." She took over cleaning Sakura's hair, wetting then combing it through with her fingers. This sensation combined with the warm sun on her face had Sakura fighting to keep her eyes open.

"Are you going to braid each other's hair next?" Suigetsu jeered.

"If you want me to braid your hair, Suigetsu, you can just ask," Karin scoffed.

Suigetsu grinned at himself in the reflection of his blade. "Do you think it would suit me?"

After inspecting Suigetsu with narrowed eyes, Jugo shared a thoughtful look with Naruto. Naruto spoke for the both of them. "Why not?" he said.

Karin rolled her eyes and released Sakura's hair. "You're set," she said. "I have to say, it's nice to spend time with people beyond my idiot teammates."

"Speaking of idiots, where is Sasuke?" Naruto asked, voicing the very question on Sakura's mind.

"Karin sent him to find water," Suigetsu said.

"Ages go." Karin waved a hand. "He disappears sometimes, and thinks we don't notice." Suigetsu and Jugo shrugged in agreement without looking up from their respective tasks. Sakura tried not to look too interested.

"Ha!" Naruto exclaimed. "Sounds just like the bastard."

Jugo coughed softly and presented his finished carving to Naruto. "A toad for the toad sage," he said.

Naruto's eyes bugged out in surprise. "It's mine?" He turned the figurine over in his hands. "Jugo, you're amazing, 'yanno?"

As Naruto sang Jugo's praises, Sakura caught sight of a cloak and travel pack resting near the entrance of the tent. Her heart panged, knowing they belonged to Sasuke. He had folded and arranged his cloak neatly atop the pack just like he used to when they were genin. The left strap was rumpled and dirty, because that was the side he liked to grip when he walked a long distance. Despite the years, Sasuke went through the world with the same touch.

Sakura wanted to wait for Sasuke to return with the water, to sit and talk all together, and witness two teams merging into one. But her medic-nin duties called. She waved farewell and left for the infirmary tent.

By the time her shift ended, the sky was pink and orange, illuminating the rocky landscape in a warm glow. Sakura stepped outside the tent and stretched, settling back in her own body after hours spent in the flow of healing. Her vision swam with images of fractured radius and ulna bones, the type of injury the White Zetsu Army most commonly inflicted. It was a good shot––targeting the arms meant shinobi could not easily cast ninjutsu. Her hands almost hummed with the precise quantity of chakra needed to set and mend the bone.

"Sakura," called a quiet voice.

Sakura rubbed her eyes. "Don't tell me it's another proximal forearm fracture."

The medic did not respond. A gust of wind blew through the encampment, carrying the scent of stony soil and juniper. Sakura opened her eyes and nearly jumped. Sasuke stood before her.

She scrambled to place him. He had appeared with little warning, but he looked a lot like the Sasuke of her time, with long, unruly hair and mismatched eyes.

"Are you…are you my Sasuke?" she blurted, instantly lamenting her choice of words.

His mouth quirked. "I'm your Sasuke," he confirmed.

"I see," Sakura said, fighting the wave of heat rising to her cheeks. Sasuke remained silent, content to watch her struggle for words. Finally, she let out a breath. "We have a lot to talk about."

"We can start now," he offered.

To steady the uneven pace of her heart, she stalled. "I don't remember you being so willing to have a conversation."

"I've waited a long time to talk to you, Sakura."

A buzz filled Sakura's ears, calm and quiet, like plunging underwater. She had been waiting, too, from the instant she had blinked awake on that cold stone bench. Could it be true that her waiting was done?

Under Sasuke's attentive gaze, Sakura recounted each moment she witnessed him slipping through time and all that occurred in between. Halfway through describing Pain's attack, a medic-nin jostled shoulders with Sakura on their way into the infirmary tent. Sasuke's fingers brushed Sakura's elbow, a suggestion to move three paces to the left.

Sakura lost her train of thought. "What has it been like for you?" she asked, as Sasuke's touch vanished.

"What do you want to know?"

"How often do you slip?"

"It depends," he said. "Sometimes I slipped every night. Sometimes, years passed in between."

"What does it feel like?"

"A bit like falling."

Sakura frowned as Sasuke's earlier words registered. "Exactly how many times has it happened?"

"I've seen you countless times." His brow furrowed. "I always went to you, except once," he said, but Sakura barely heard him.

"Countless times?" she repeated, raking through her memory of their conversation on the bench––a conversation that replayed in her mind every single day. "You didn't tell me it was like that."

"I'm telling you now," he said, the ghost of a smile on his lips. 

Sakura shook her head. She thought she'd known everything there was to know. "What happened the last time you saw me?"

A glint grew in Sasuke's eye. "You'll see."

Something about his expression made Sakura's mind go blank. "I...I can't think of any more questions right now."

"Fine," Sasuke said. "We have time."

They had time.

He could use a haircut, Sakura thought, looking up. They were standing close enough that if she reached a hand out, she could easily brush away the dark hair threatening to fall in his eyes.

"Oi, teme, Sakura-chan!"

Sakura blinked and took a step back. Her legs were tired from standing, and the steady flow of foot traffic around them was gone.

Naruto approached the tent, hoisting a sword as tall as Sakura over his shoulder. "What's taking you two so long?" he demanded.

Suigetsu burst around the bend. "I need that back now––"

"The food is ready and Karin's getting mad," Naruto said, returning the Executioner's Blade into Suigetsu's protective hands.

"I just polished it," Suigetsu muttered to himself, rubbing his sleeve over an invisible smudge.

Sasuke turned to Sakura. "I was supposed to tell you that you're invited to dinner."

Before accepting his invitation, Sakura marveled how they had talked long enough for the moon to rise in the sky, to cast the elegant features of Sasuke's face in a silver glow. All this time passed and he was still here with her, not slipping away into thin air. He was not going anywhere.

.

.

.

.

Up next: Sasuke is back. The seasons pass. Notes: early update, bc i couldn't wait to share this chapter. as always, please let me know what you think, and thank you for reading :) ps, you can also find me on twitter (@catfloriste) for additional ramblings

[silverfootstepswrites]

Amaryllis | Chapter 19

< Chapter 18 | Chapter 19 | Chapter 20 >

++++

Shisui started off his day by spitting tea halfway across the table. He rubbed his handkerchief over his mouth and chin as he struggled to make sense of what his cousin had just said.

“You think what?” he hissed. And then, clearing his throat, he cast a look around the room. Sasuke’s guards were standing outside. The servant girl who had delivered their tea and snacks had long since departed. Still, he couldn’t help but feel nervous. Even if he hadn’t been the one to bring up the subject, him sitting and listening now made him complicit to whatever was to come of this.

“Don’t make me repeat myself. I hate the idea more than you do,” Sasuke sighed. He set his teacup down in the matching saucer.

“You’re speaking treason. You’re going to get yourself killed. Oh, and me as well, now that you’ve roped me into your madness,” Shisui worried.

“You think I don’t know that?” It was Sasuke’s turn to snap. His hands clenched on top of the table.

Shisui’s protests trailed off. They stared at each other. Shisui lowered his handkerchief.

“Is that why Itachi is still abroad?” he whispered, leaning in across the table.

Sasuke nodded. Just once.

“So what do you need from me?” Shisui then demanded.

Sasuke hesitated. He chose his words carefully before he asked: “Your wife… do you think she can be trusted?”

Shisui hissed through his teeth. He leaned back, rubbing a hand through his hair. When his eyes returned to Sasuke, they were sharp with accusation.

“You’ll get her killed.”

“Can she be trusted?” Sasuke repeated his question.

Shisui rubbed his hair again. And then he heaved a sigh. “Of course she can.”

“How do you know?” pressed Sasuke.

“She just…” Shisui paused. Huffed out a long breath through his nostrils. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. Opened them again. “I’d trust her with my life and yours. Tell me what you want.”

Each of the members of the royal family had a personal physician. It was the doctor’s job to know everything about them. To anticipate their needs and to provide prompt treatment. Finding one doctor was a challenge. Finding four was a miracle. Although, with enough money and power, even miracles were for sale.

Sasuke’s physician was a pleasant older man with perpetually cool hands. He had overseen Sasuke’s care since birth. And while he was certainly competent at his job, he wasn’t the person Sasuke needed to talk to.

Karin lowered her spectacles to stare at the two men that entered her office.

“Why not take a break, my love?” Shisui greeted her. He crossed the room before he produced a small bouquet of yellow flowers. Karin didn’t look at the flowers. She continued to examine Shisui’s smile.

She squinted at him.

“What did you do?” she demanded.

Shisui held the flowers up higher. Until she was forced to look down at them. His smile widened as she glowered and accepted them.

“Nothing yet,” Shisui assured her. Karin wrinkled her nose. She fussed with the bright flowers for a moment before she motioned for them to have a seat in front of her desk.

As they settled into their spots, Sasuke tilted his head. He looked from his cousin, a baron of modest but good standing. And then to his mother’s physician, a common woman who was tolerated in the palace due to her skill.

“How did you two marry anyway?” he wondered out loud.

Karin fixed Shisui with another sharp look. “He pursued me aggressively, getting in the way of my work,” she accused.

Shisui leaned against the arm of his chair. “For months,” he added. And then he gave a proud smile. “She despised me. I came to her office every day until she threatened to report me to Her Majesty the Queen.”

Sasuke made a face as he watched the two of them banter back and forth.

He had never understood relationships. He understood that, as a prince, he would eventually have to marry.

His parents were an example of a good union. They spent the required amount of time together for the public eye. Their conversations were polite. Almost always pleasant. On their weekly walks in the garden, courtiers loved to comment at what a lovely couple they made. His father had always honored his mother, and his mother had always supported his father. That was all he had ever known.

From a young age, his mother had made an effort to introduce him to potential brides. But she had never pushed him. Listened to his complaints with patience. Chided him when he was less than polite to these girls. Sitting on her knee, Sasuke had wondered why such silly little things seemed to matter so much to his uncles.

“A stable marriage, my son, leads to a stable kingdom. Your partner will determine the fate of this nation and all its people,” she had always explained to him.

But sometimes, when he looked at his cousin and his cousin’s wife, he wondered whether there might not be more to it than just stability.

“Anyway, as nice as it is to see you, Prince, I’m assuming this isn’t a social visit?” Karin interrupted his thinking. She raised her spectacles on top of her head. The metal and glass was lost in her tangle of deep red hair. He had only ever seen a color like that once before. It was rare enough to turn heads wherever she went.

“Shisui claims that I can trust you with my life. Is that true, Physician?”asked Sasuke.

Karin’s eyes narrowed. “Is that what he said?” she mused. She looked down at the flowers again. Then back up at Sasuke. “Have you gotten yourself into some trouble, Your Highness?”

Shisui pinched his mouth together, trying not to smile. He turned away and pretended to look out the window.

“Well… not yet. It… it depends on your answer, I suppose,” Sasuke conceded.

Karin’s scrutinizing gaze didn’t leave his face. “Your question makes me feel the need to remind you that I am in the service of your mother, Your Highness,” she stated.

Sasuke felt heat creep up the back of his neck. But he refused to look away. He nodded.

And after what felt like an eternity, Karin smiled.

“But, ultimately, I serve the Crown. So what can I help you with?”

+++

Itachi hadn’t quite known what to expect when people had warned him of the rainy season that settled over the tea isles for half the year. The rain rarely lasted for the whole day. Often, storms hurried in, enveloping the island before rushing off just as quickly. Sometimes, people didn’t even bother rushing indoors. Baskets on their hips, they leaned against palm trees or ducked under eaves until the clouds passed.

But on the days when the rain lingered, it drenched the island. The walkways grew slick, and some of the regular paths turned to mud. The servants of Sami were busy mopping up puddles and searching for leaks. Small problems had to be addressed before they could grow. A tiny leak gone undetected could lead to the entire roof collapsing in a few month’s time.

Still, life went on. Even during this rainy season.

The stalls in the market had been designed with this precipitation in mind. Panels folded and shutters closed to protect the wares within. And when the rain eased a little, the stalls opened back up to conduct business as usual. Even in the rain, divers continued to hunt for pearls. The servants in the palace kept kneading dough and folding laundry that had barely made it inside in time.

Dark clouds had gathered on the horizon at dawn. Before the sun could lift its face over the horizon, rain battered the side of the building. Normally, the opened sides of the throne room let the breeze rush through. But during the rainy season, wooden panels were installed to keep the wind and the water out.

“Please, My Lord. I am innocent,” an old man rasped. His wrinkled hands gripped his walking stick.

The Duchess’ large chair was empty. Instead, Sasori sat in a smaller chair beside it.

The space between Sasori’s eyebrows wrinkled. He leaned his cheek on his hand as he stared the man down.

“Accusing someone of withholding wages is a serious matter,” Sasori stated. He narrowed his eyes. “I doubt it is something that was done without thought.”

The old man’s shoulders trembled. He bowed his head. But he did not stumble over his words as he replied: “Yes, My Lord.”

Sasori stared for another moment. And then he closed his eyes.

“Very well. I will look into this matter. And if you have paid this man for his work, he will be punished for false accusations,” he decided.

The old man bowed even deeper. He stayed that way for a long time before he shuffled his way out. Sasori watched him. He rolled some observations around in his head. And then, very carefully, he motioned for a nearby guard.

Sasori pressed a finger to his lips. He waited for the guard to nod before he whispered something. The guard only nodded before he made his way out of the throne room. Sasori leaned his elbow on his armrest. He heaved a sigh before he motioned for the next person.

Leaning against a column, Itachi frowned. The verdict Sasori had laid out was both fair and pragmatic. But something about the exchange had felt a little off.

As if he could hear his thoughts, Sasori turned his head to look at him. The corner of his mouth lifted. He pointed to his foot.

“His limp,” was all Sasori said.

It took a moment for Itachi to realize what he meant. When the old man had entered, he had favored his right leg. But as he departed, he had favored his left. As if standing there under Sasori’s piercing stare had made him forget which side was supposed to hurt. As Itachi’s eyes widened, Sasori smirked. Sasori shook his head.

“People are so sloppy,” he sighed.

As the next person entered for audience, Sasori’s smile faded. But there was still something smug about his eyes as he cast Itachi one last, knowing look.

“What brings you here today? The Duchess is occupied, but I will hear your grievances,” Sasori recited, as he had half a dozen times that morning.

But as Itachi settled in to listen to this next case, he felt something on his shoulder. As he turned, he was met with a white mask and a wild mane of straw-colored hair. He jolted.

Out of all the sword-wielding mercenaries who wandered the palace, Kushimaru was the only one that Itachi could not get used to. Part of that was undoubtedly the way he never took off that mask. And the other was because he never spoke.

Even now, all Kushimaru did was hold out a slip of paper.

Itachi accepted it. He unfolded it to find a short message. It only took a moment to read.

“Right now?” he asked.

Kushimaru dipped his head once. And then he stalked off.

Itachi folded the note and placed it in his pocket. He turned back to Sasori to let him know that he would be leaving. But Sasori was already looking at him. He nodded before Itachi had a chance to mouth anything. Sometimes, Sasori’s acuity was a little frightening.

It had been almost half a year since Sakura’s departure.

In that time, Itachi had learned many things. Like when the fishermen greeted him with a smiling “Howzit, Prince”, he was supposed to answer, “Good. And you?”. Or how arguments in the bazaar always sounded angrier than they actually were. After getting turned around for a few weeks, Itachi had even learned the layout of most of the palace.

In turn, the people of the island were learning about him too. Shizune remembered that he preferred fish and poultry to red meat. The servants starched his clothes a little less because he liked his shirts soft. There was a merchant with a wooden finger who always sent word whenever he procured a new book that he thought might interest him.

Sasuke wrote at least once a week. It was amusing how he spoke to his little brother so much more now that they lived so far apart. The contents of his messages mostly described the mundane. Sasuke wrote about the weather. About how some noble’s daughter had thrown herself at him and begged to have his children. Every once in a while, there were hints of more serious matters, but Sasuke never went into enough detail to cause problems should someone intercept his messages.

From what Itachi could gather, Sasuke had begun requesting more duties. Their father would, undoubtedly, approve of his youngest son taking on more responsibilities. And the nobles who wanted the second prince on the throne would begin moving soon when they began to see Sasuke gaining favor.

As Itachi stepped out of the throne room, he stretched his hand out. A single drop of water fell into his palm, rolling down to his wrist. The rain had retreated, at least for a little while. The dark clouds on the horizon promised more precipitation to come.

“Ah, there you are!”

Itachi lifted his head as Kisame’s voice boomed out. The tall, blue mercenary waved as he strode down the walkway.

“Drinks on me, Prince!” he announced.

Itachi didn’t resist as Kisame threw his arm around his shoulder and lead him in the direction of the city. As they passed, the guards bowed. They sloshed down the steps together, Kisame going on about some type of new drink at one of his usual haunts. The chatter went on and on as they walked the damp streets.

The Sailor’s Rest was one of the oldest taverns in Plumeria. The Swordsmen of the Mist had taken up lodging there during their first days on the island. Although Sakura had offered them rooms in the palace, the mercenaries had declined.

Chojuro was sitting at one of the tables when they entered. Across from him sat Zabuza, who leaned with his feet up on the table. As Kisame walked past, he slapped one of Zabuza’s boots.

“Mind your manners around the prince, Zabuza,” Kisame joked.

“He’s not my master and neither are you,” growled Zabuza in response.

“Yes, your only master lies in your loins,” Chojuro commented as he continued writing. Zabuza’s eyes narrowed.

Kisame grinned. “Honestly. The General would kill you if she could see the way you follow that servant boy,” he goaded.

The space between Zabuza’s eyebrows wrinkled. He glared down at his tankard. “That’s not…” He huffed out a long breath. Before he could finish his thought, Kisame threw himself down in the seat beside Zabuza. He gave him a hearty thump on the back.

“Relax, Zabuza. You look more and more like an old man these days,” Kisame teased.

Zabuza shot another glare at him. “You’re a year older than me.”

“I’m a fresh-faced lad at heart,” retorted Kisame.

A noise of disgust rose around the table. Kisame looked up when something hit his head. He glared up at the rafters, where Kushimaru was undoubtedly hiding.

“Alright, alright. Drinks on me,” Kisame conceded. The noises of disgust faded away.

As the bartender began pouring their drinks, Itachi looked around the room.

Itachi glanced over as Chojuro began packing up his things. “What were you working on?”

Chojuro was oddly soft-spoken to be a mercenary. It was also strange enough that he was literate. Sakura had mentioned once that she thought Chojuro must be a bastard. One who had received an education from his father, but not an inheritance.

“We have a lot of those in the army. I like them. They’re desperate to show the world that they matter. They work harder than most,” she had commented in passing.

“Just making note of some things. It makes it easier to keep facts straight if they’re recorded,” answered Chojuro. As he spoke, Chojuro shut his journal and placed it under his thigh.

The drinks arrived at the table. Kisame took a gulp of his mead.

“How are you feeling, Prince?” he then asked.

Itachi rotated his shoulder as he thought. “A little sore, but otherwise fine. I can’t help but wonder whether you’ve been going easy on me lately,” answered Itachi before he took a sip.

Kisame wiped his mouth on the back of his hand before he grinned a mouth full of sharp teeth.

“Sounds to me like someone’s ready for a bigger challenge,” he declared.

“Or you could do things in moderation, Boss,” Chojuro interrupted.

Kisame made a noise of disgust as he repeated the word: “Moderation.”

Chojuro rolled his eyes.

“You break the prince and I doubt the lady will show you any moderation,” Chojuro warned.

Kisame jerked a thumb in Itachi’s direction. “He won’t break so easy.”

Itachi met Kisame’s eyes. There was something in Kisame’s gaze that made him feel like maybe he wasn’t joking.

Kisame’s hand moved to the hilt of his sword. Chojuro’s fingers slipped into his vest. Itachi followed their stares, turning his head just as the door opened.

Two men walked in, stinking of salt and fish. Their hair and clothes were wet, dripping onto the floor. They each raised a hand in greeting to the mercenaries.

“Howzit, Big Blue,” one of them called out as they crossed the room to join them.

“Not too bad. How was the catch today?” responded Kisame, his hand falling away from his weapon. Chojuro’s expression relaxed as he nodded at the other men.

The fishermen shook their heads. “Poor catch. Maybe we need a new spot,” they lamented. And then their faces lit up even more when they spotted Itachi.

“Ah, howzit, Prince? You looking strong these days,” one of the men commented.

“He trying to catch up with the Duchess, dass why,” the other said.

Everyone, including Itachi, chuckled.

“Please, have a seat. You must be tired,” Itachi insisted. The two fishermen sank into the chairs with sighs. They ordered their drinks, and then they settled in, fanning themselves.

“Ah, you know, Big Blue, we saw something strange before,” one of them suddenly brought up.

Kisame arched an eyebrow as he finished off his mead.

“Saw some buggah sailing in from the west. Weird boat. So we ask him if he lost. Says no. Rude, too,” he recounted.

“Why was it weird?” Kisame queried.

The fisherman shrugged. “Not a canoe like for fishing. Merchant boat, but shaped funny,” he recalled, rubbing his chin.

“Funny?” Chojuro repeated.

The fisherman squinted as he thought. When he looked over his companion, the other fisherman nodded.

“Kind of small… And- ah! There was a crest!” he recalled. He looked around the table. Chojuro had already pulled out his journal and turned to a clean page. He presented his pen, leaning over as he watched the man sketch out what he had seen as best as he could.

Chojuro’s eyes narrowed behind his glasses. “That is odd…” he agreed. His gaze trailed to Kisame, who raised his eyebrows as he thought. He shrugged one shoulder. Chojuro stayed for one drink before he quietly excused himself, journal tucked under his arm.

++++

To the west, in the landlocked capital of the Forest Kingdom, where fishing was neither good nor bad, Naruto found himself at the doors of the temple again.

“So are you going to go in, or are you just going to stand here breathing heavily like some sort of pervert?” Sai drawled.

Naruto spared him a glare. “You don’t have to be here, you know,” Naruto snapped.

Sai blinked. Like he hadn’t expected his charge to talk back. After all, Naruto was usually all laughs and sheepish grins. Sai searched Naruto’s expression before he shrugged.

“They would have my head if anything happened to you. And a certain General isn’t around to play savior,” remarked Sai.

Naruto squinted at him. “You sound real invested in my safety,” he retorted.

Sai smiled. Hand over his heart, he dipped his head. “Your well-being is my top priority. I’m sworn to watch over you, remember?” he uttered. Something about his tone felt threatening.

Naruto felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise. He swallowed.

“…You don’t have to come inside. Wait out here,” Naruto said.

Sai’s eyebrows rose. He searched Naruto’s face before he gave another smile.

“Of course,” he answered. He bowed too deep before he opened the door. It slammed behind Naruto as he stepped into the temple. The sound made him flinch. It echoed off the high ceilings. Thankfully, there was no one praying to disrupt. But it did make the High Priestess gasp. She dropped something metal. It went skittering across the stone.

“Goodness!” she exclaimed. As she got down on her hands and knees, Naruto sprinted down the aisle.

“Let me help you!” Naruto called. The priestess’ head rose toward the sound of his voice.

Naruto found the pendant under one of the pews. He rubbed it clean against his shirt.

“Here,” he said.

She held her hands out, skin white against the soft purple of her robes. The chain pooled in her palm. She closed her fingers around the metal disk. And then she smiled.

“Thank you, Prince. You are too kind,” she murmured.

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck.

“Ah… well, it’s kind of my fault you dropped it. My retainer slammed the door. Sorry about that,” he confessed.

Hinata’s smile brightened. “An apology isn’t necessary. But I appreciate it nonetheless.”

Like all high priestesses before her, Hinata could not see. Blindness was seen as a blessing from the goddess that marked them as chosen. The priestess could remain unsullied by the things of the world if she could not see them. Hinata wore a translucent veil over her face, but anyone could see the cloudiness of her eyes. The way they searched without seeing. She had been born sightless. People had gushed to Duke Hyuuga over how blessed his family was to have given birth to the next high priestess.

Naruto didn’t really care about those things.

The high priestess’ smiles were real. And she was kind. Two things that were becoming harder and harder to come by in this city.

Or, perhaps, he was starting to recognize when a smile wasn’t so sincere.

“How… how have you been?” Naruto asked, struggling not to trip over his words.

Hinata dipped her head. “Quite well. And you, Your Highness?” she asked in turn.

Naruto looked down at his hands. He fidgeted a little before he lifted his chin. He cast a glance around the temple, just to make sure that it was empty.

“Worried… um…” Naruto paused. Stole a glance at Hinata. Her head tilted to one side as she listened.

Naruto tried not to panic before he pulled the words out. Just as he had rehearsed in his head a dozen times over. “Can I get your advice on something?”

“Of course. The temple exists to provide guidance for those who feel lost,” Hinata responded.

“Can we… uh… should we sit?” he then suggesting, glancing around again. Hinata’s smile didn’t change.

“If that would make you more comfortable, most certainly. Would you please assist me?” she requested, holding out her bare hand.

Naruto gulped. He hesitated for a moment. And then he took it. Her skin was smooth and soft. Her hand was so much smaller than his, he realized as he helped her into the nearest pew. When she sat, she withdrew her hand back into her sleeve. Naruto couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed.

He sat beside her, leaving some distance between them. He flexed his empty hand that suddenly felt cold.

“So…” Naruto exhaled deeply. He knocked his palm against his forehead, as if that would shake the words loose.

“Please take your time. There is no need to rush,” Hinata assured him.

That did help a little. He managed to grasp the unraveling threads of the question he had nearly forgotten.

“Say that you have a friend. And… you used to be closer. But lately you’re more… uh…” Naruto stopped as he searched for the word.

“Distant?” suggested Hinata.

Naruto nodded. “Exactly! Distant!” The word echoed back across the vaulted ceiling. Naruto slapped his hands down on his mouth. When he snuck a peek over at Hinata, she didn’t seem bothered.

“Sorry,” he whispered as he pried his hands away.

She nodded. “Quite alright.”

“So, I’ve been trying everything to make things better. But there are just lots of things in this… person’s… life that I want to understand. It’s just like there’s a wall up between us or something,” Naruto explained. He heaved a sigh, elbows resting on his knees. He rubbed his face with both hands.

“I just… I know I’ve messed up some things too. I want to be better. And sometimes it feels like I am being better. But other times… I just don’t know…” he trailed off.

It was quiet for a while. And then Hinata opened her mouth.

“Is it uncomfortable to speak in person with this friend?” she wondered.

Naruto considered that. He chuckled a little. “Yes. I feel like I say the wrong thing… a lot,” he confessed. “Maybe it’s because I get nervous.”

Hinata lifted her arms to adjust her sleeves. There was a thin golden band around her left wrist. It glittered with the movement. Naruto found himself staring at it.

“Have you tried writing to him instead? I often hear that it is easier for some to gather thoughts on paper,” she suggested.

Naruto hung his head. His silence was an answer in itself.

“Your friend… he does not write back to you?” asked Hinata.

“Sh- He doesn’t,” he replied.

Letters upon letters left the capital. Sometimes he even wrote daily. But the days stretched on without a single envelope addressed for him. Even a passing mention of his letters would have been enough in person. But she always stared at him with the same look of impatience. If she even looked at him at all. Sometimes Sakura’s eyes passed right over him- like he was invisible.

“That must be hurtful,” Hinata sympathized. And then her expression shifted. “Perhaps… Have you asked, Prince?”

“Asked what?” Naruto asked in the same glum voice.

“Whether your friend has received your letters. Messengers travel a long way. Letters can get lost now and then,” she explained.

“Maybe… well… no. I have no way of knowing that. I… didn’t think to ask,” Naruto mumbled.

Hinata’s hands slipped back into her sleeves. She offered him a gentle smile. “Then perhaps that is something you can ask him the next time you see him. Misunderstandings grow large in the absence of communication, you see.”

Naruto’s gaze drifted toward the window. The light danced in through leaves. The shadows rippled and swayed across the floor like so many dancers.

“Maybe I should,” he agreed.

As he meditated on this, it occurred to him that Hinata might be right.

The cousin he had grown to admire and then fear had once been his friend. Although she had always been smarter and faster, she had never abandoned him in the woods or left him in whatever ravine he had tumbled down. She had complained and scolded. But never left him behind.

During the few months they had spent together last summer, he had seen the same grudging patience in her. Even when she snapped. Even when she rolled her eyes. She always found him in the room. Always made sure he was safe.

She had even shed blood for him. Spilling it across the floor like scattered sunlight. He tried to remember what emotion her face had shown in that moment. Anger?

No. Fear.

And then relief, maybe?

“I’ll ask,” Naruto decided. “I should ask,” he said again, nodding to himself.

They sat in the quiet for a long while. The clock tower chimed outside. It was noon.

Winter had come and gone. Everyone was hard at work now that they were no longer trapped indoors by ice and snow. There were fields to till. Fish to catch. The entire city was alive and moving.

But all was still inside the temple.

Hinata clasped her hands in her lap. “Can I provide you any additional guidance?” she asked.

“No. Thank you. I feel a lot better.”

Hinata inclined her head. “I am glad to have been of service. The temple welcomes all to find rest from their troubles,” she replied.

“Oh!” Naruto exclaimed. Hinata jumped a little. Naruto didn’t notice as he turned and began digging in his satchel. He produced a bright yellow flower.

“I almost forgot. I brought something for you,” he announced, gripping the stem in his hand.

Rather than the smile Naruto had expected, Hinata answered with silence.

“Forgive my rudeness, but… I… I cannot accept anything from you. Servants of the temple cannot accept material goods,” she uttered.

“Oh. I mean… it’s… oh.” Because he hadn’t even considered what that must have sounded like to her. How many people must have climbed these steps just to bribe the high priestess for a blessing or some sort of favor?

Naruto fumbled for the right words. He looked around. Took a deep breath. Blew it out. Took in another.

“It’s a flower,” he finally explained.

“A flower?” she repeated.

“I picked it in the garden. Because it was pretty. It’s not worth any money,” Naruto went on.

Hinata’s face went blank.

“Is that… still not allowed?” wondered Naruto.

“I…. thank you. But… I still…” Hinata couldn’t finish her thought. Didn’t really need to.

Naruto stared at the wilting flower in his grasp.

“That’s not your fault. I should’ve thought a little more about this,” he sighed. As he got to his feet, Hinata lifted her chin.

“I truly am grateful,” she insisted.

Naruto put on a smile. For who, he wasn’t sure.

“Yeah. I’ll… I’ll come again,” he said.

“Please do.”

Naruto ignored Sai’s questions as he exited the temple. He threw the flower on the street as he strode down the steps. He knew that Sai was commenting about it. But it was easy to block him out.

She had asked him to come back.

That was what mattered more than any of his retainer’s snide remarks.

+++

“It’s been a few months, but Aunt Kurenai says that things are calm back home,” Kankuro skimmed over the message. The paper was in surprisingly good shape for traveling such a long distance.

The seasons meant little in the Viper’s Throat. It was hotter here than it was back in Ebizo’s palace. The last weeks of winter had passed in Baki’s palace with mostly unforgiving, hot days. Now that the calendar’s announced a new season, the temperatures remained unchangingly high.

Prince Baki imported large quantities of ice from the north to store underground. The ice cooled the palace as the air moved up the caverns and into the buildings through large towers. The servants also did their best to keep things comfortable. They ran back and forth chipping off pieces of the ice to scatter into drinks. Azra and Esma kept busy with their large fans any moment they weren’t carrying out another task.

Temari held her hand out. Kankuro leaned over to pass the letter to her. Temari rubbed her knuckles against her chin as she read.

“Do they really have no idea that Lady Sakura has been abroad?” she wondered.

“That was written at least a couple months ago. Perhaps they have noticed by now. They must have at least one brain between all of them,” replied Sakura. She shifted in her seat, crossing and recrossing her legs.

Gaara looked up when the twins entered. Azra set a tray down on the table. It was heavy with sweets and a fresh pot of tea. Esma knelt beside Sakura with a basin filled with towels. Each one had been soaked with fragrant water and rolled into the shape of a different flower. Sakura took one, still speaking.

“How have preparations been going, to your knowledge?” she queried. She unfolded the damp towel and wiped her hands. As the servant moved around the table, each person took a towel. When she reached him, Gaara offered a smile.

“Thank you,” he said.

She lifted her chin to look into his eyes. She looked surprised. As if she had never heard such words before. But then her expression shifted back to the polite smile she always wore. She bowed before she moved on.

When Gaara turned his head, he found Sakura staring at the servant girl. On the windowsill behind her, Suigetsu was staring too. His hands folded together under his chin. When his gaze met Gaara’s, the mercenary smirked.

“Messages travel slowly. I wish I had more updates for you,” Kankuro sighed. He rubbed the back of his neck.

Sakura leaned back in her seat. “I can hardly hold you responsible for that,” she responded.

“The last response I received was when I wrote to Sasori to let him know that you were bringing back plenty of guests. He assured me that they would have a comfortable place to stay on the island,” he recalled. He leaned back on his palms with another sigh.

“Where? Lady Sakura was promised thousands,” asked Temari, examining her nails.

Kankuro ruffled both his hands through his hair. “Don’t ask that right now. My head will explode,” Kankuro groaned.

Temari and Sakura exchanged a look. “Don’t tease him. I don’t have a replacement for him if his head really does explode,” Sakura scolded. Temari laughed.

Sakura pulled her hair off her neck with a sigh. She heard a few murmured words. And then Esma was standing behind her, fanning with all the fury of a soldier charging into battle.

“Oh my, she tries so hard. It’s adorable,” Kankuro remarked, leaning toward the breeze. He blinked when Temari returned the letter to him. Folding it into thirds, he tucked it into his pocket.

“Prince Baki has promised you troops. You have yet to meet them. Aren’t you suspicious, Lady Sakura?” Temari inquired, crossing one leg over the other.

“It would be dishonorable for him to go back on his word. He would not suffer such shame. He will keep his word. I’m confident,” answered Sakura.

They enjoyed glasses of tea filled with ice and mint. They moved on to lighter topics- simple gossip, the weather. Kankuro brought up an old story of how he had once flirted with a woman without realizing she was married. The woman’s irate husband had chased them both through the market. They laughed as they recalled Kankuro’s terror.

As the time passed, the heat of the afternoon sun swelled and then eased. They decided that a walk around the palace would be the perfect way to pass the time before supper. Temari looked over at Kankuro, who had dozed off some time ago. As Temari took a step toward him to shake him awake, Sakura’s voice interrupted her.

“Let him rest. He must be exhausted.”

Rolling her eyes, Temari stepped away from him, moving toward the door instead.

Azra and Esma brought out a shawl. Despite the heat, Sakura draped it over her bare arms and shoulders. She reached back, searching. Gaara slipped his hand into hers. She pulled him forward to match her pace without looking at him.

The stone halls of the palace echoed with their footsteps. The northern wing of the palace was quiet. Visitors were not permitted to roam there without her permission. But once they reached the center of the palace, they could hear voices and music. There was always some kind of performer or visitor to keep the harem occupied.

They passed a tall woman wearing a glimmering gown. She spotted them. Sneered without greeting. And then moved on. She barked something to the servant girls behind her. The girls kept their eyes to the ground, shaking hands folded in front of them. One of them looked like she might be limping.

Sakura’s eyes narrowed.

She reached a hand out from under her shawl, beckoning. Azra and Esma moved toward her.

“That woman?” asked Sakura, keeping her voice low. The twins’ eyes moved toward the woman’s retreating back.

“That is Concubine Deba, General,” Azra replied in the same half-whisper. She flinched as Concubine Deba snapped at the servants. When one of the girls reached out, the concubine slapped her hands away, her voice growing even more shrill.

“Is that how she always is?” Sakura inquired.

“Always,” Esma confirmed. Sakura’s eyes fell on her. At the tight line her lips made.

“You once served her,” she guessed.  Esma’s grimace was answer enough. Azra put her hand on her sister’s arm. She smiled.

“That’s why we’re so grateful to serve you now, General,” Azra added. Esma’s gaze flickered over to her. Then she pursed her lips, nodding as she looked down.

Sakura folded her arms across her chest. She glanced again at the direction the concubine had gone. Then back at the twins.

“Hm,” Sakura said. She looped her arm through Temari’s, pulling her along. They walked slowly.

“What’re you thinking, Lady Sakura?” asked Temari.

“Do you know why people follow a woman like that?” Sakura wondered.

Temari arched an eyebrow. She stole one last glance at the distant back of Concubine Deba. Then looked to Sakura. “Fear, it looks like,” she guessed.

“Do you think that works better than a sense of duty?” Sakura mused.

“I don’t like that look in your eyes, Lady Sakura. It makes me nervous,” Temari sighed, already shaking her head.

That made Sakura smile. Pointer finger on her cheek, she tilted her head to one side.

“I wonder. Should we try a little experiment?”

After supper, Sakura left her quarters alone. Temari looked ready to protest until she spotted Mangetsu waiting by the door. She fixed him with a hard look. The mercenary returned it. Slowly, she nodded at him before she sank back down in her seat.

Mangetsu followed Sakura out of her quarters. They met up with Suigetsu further down the corridor.

Suigetsu pulled his cowl down and coughed. “I’m sick of all this sand,” he muttered, rubbing his eyes. And then he turned his frown to Sakura. He coughed again before he spoke. “Also, I don’t get this. I thought you wanted to get to the consort- not this woman.”

Sakura ran her fingers through her hair. She adjusted her collar.

“It’s not about the concubine, Suigetsu. It’s about her servants,” she insisted.

Suigetsu stared at her.

She sighed, impatient. “Who oversees the day-to-day of any palace? Who has access to my food, clothing, and nearly everything else?” she listed. And then she paused, mouth puckering as she thought. “At home, the staff sees to my every need. In Whiteriver Keep… well… you’ve seen it.”

And then she smiled. "I want to see what happens if I can move the hearts of the servants. What would be the result?" she spelled out for him.

Suigetsu held her gaze for a long moment. He sighed.

“One of the girls just left the concubine’s room. Should be coming down that hall soon,” Suigetsu reported, jabbing his thumb in the right direction.

Sakura moved past him, her skirts gathered in one hand so she could move faster. The brothers hung back, watching her.

When Sakura reached the end of the hall, Suigetsu clicked his tongue against the back of his teeth. Mangetsu looked over. He watched Suigetsu dig his pinky nail into his ear. He flicked the bits of sand away, bouncing them across the polished marble floors.

“Looks like the lady’s learning something,” Suigetsu commented.

“Good?” Mangetsu wondered, his eyes drifting back to follow Sakura.

“Yeah. Good,” Suigetsu confirmed.

Mangetsu said nothing else. Just slapped his younger brother on the back a few times before he followed after her.

Sakura lingered just before the corner. She barely looked up when the mercenaries joined her. She didn’t need to warn them to stay silent. If anything, they were quieter than she was.

According to Suigetsu, this passageway led to the larger residences within Prince Baki’s harem. This was a service hallway used by the staff. These sorts of places were nice because people’s true characters often emerged when they believed no one was watching them.

“You think you’re better than us because you serve Concubine Deba now?”

There was a sharp slap. And then the sound of something bouncing onto the floor. A few voices laughed, shrill and cutting.

“Little whore thinks she’s tough,” one of them mocked.

And then there was a muffled yelp before another voice hissed: “You’re nothing. Learn your place.”

Sakura’s mouth set in a grim line. She had heard enough.

There were three servant girls gathered around a fourth girl. The fourth sat huddled on the ground, both hands covering her head. The three girls snickered as they shoved her with their feet. But when they looked up, they saw Sakura round the corner, the two mercenaries shadowing her steps.

Sakura pretended to take the scene in.

The three servant girls frozen mid-step. The one girl on the floor, hair disheveled. A basket overturned. Linens scattered.

“How unsightly,” Sakura remarked, hand on her cheek. She locked eyes with one of the girls as she added, “Is this how things are done in this palace?”

One of the girls, clearly the leader of the group, stepped forward.

“Are you lost, dear guest? This area is typically for…”

Sakura’s eyes narrowed. The servant girl’s voice faltered. Her words trailed off.

“I don’t recall asking for you to speak. What a foolish child,” Sakura scoffed. She lowered her hand. “I have an idea of what’s happening here. Clean this up,” Sakura then snapped.

The three girls exchanged nervous looks before they scrambled to gather the basket and dump the garments inside. They mumbled apologies to Sakura, bowing their heads. Sakura fixed them with a stare for a long moment before she jerked her chin, dismissing them. They hurried off. As soon as they turned the corner, their footsteps quickened, echoing off the stone walls and floors.

As Sakura turned her attention to the remaining girl, her expression softened.

“Are you alright?” asked Sakura. She held her hand out. The remaining servant girl lifted her head, about to reach out. She jolted when she met Sakura’s eyes. She swiped her sleeve across her face before she put on a smile.

“I beg pardon, Your Grace. How can I serve you?” she said. She sniffled. There was a scratch mark on her cheek.

“Well, before you serve anyone, can you stand?” Sakura asked. She moved her hand a little closer.

The girl stared at the offered hand. Her gaze flickered to the basket. Then to her ankle.

“Thank you,” she whispered before she slipped her hand into Sakura’s. She winced a little when Sakura helped her stand.

“I apologize for this scene, Your Grace. It truly is disgraceful for us to have shown an honored guest such a sight,” the girl then said, bowing. Her hands clenched into the fabric of her skirt.

Sakura studied the girl’s shaking hands. Then her eyes drifted up to her face.

“What is your name?” Sakura asked.

The girl peered up at her through flaxen hair.

“It’s Meno, Your Grace,” she replied.

“Meno,” Sakura repeated. The girl nodded.

“Why don’t you sit with me for a while, Meno?”

While it was worded like a suggestion, it wasn’t. The girl must have been smart enough to know that. She hesitated for just a moment. And then she bowed again.

Meno trailed behind Sakura as they made her way to the other wing of the palace. Meno cast nervous looks at Mangetsu, who walked near Sakura, and Suigetsu, who trailed behind them.

“Your hair is a unique color,” Sakura commented. She kept her eyes focused ahead. Meno started a little. She touched her golden hair, gathered her hands in front of her again.

“…Yes, Your Grace,” she replied.

“Are you foreign-born?” Sakura queried.

“No, Your Grace. My father was a traveler,” answered Meno.

“Oh, so you’re mixed,” Sakura guessed.

Meno hung her head.

Sakura sniffed. “With the number of foreign-born concubines Prince Baki has, I would assume that a little mixing would be more than welcome here,” Sakura observed. She glanced back at Meno. “Or is that a privilege reserved just for the nobility?”

Meno’s eyes widened.

Soon, they arrived at Sakura’s quarters. Servants pulled the doors open at their approach.

“Azra. Esma,” Sakura called as they walked inside.

The twins came running. Azra helped her unwrap her shawl. Ezra presented a pair of soft slippers. But both girls froze when they noticed Meno lingering in the doorway.

Sakura followed their gaze. She gave an absent-minded wave of her hand.

“Prepare some refreshments for my guest,” ordered Sakura.

There was a slight pause as the twins exchanged a look. And then they both answered: “Yes, General.”

Several minutes later, they sat in the parlor. Sakura crossed one knee over the other, arm draped over the back of the sofa. She nodded as the twins set a tray down on the low table. Steam curled up from the teapot.

“Oh, Your Grace, I couldn’t accept this,” Meno sputtered as she looked at the tea. Her hands curled into the fabric of her apron.

Sakura stared at the tea too. The corners of her mouth turned down. “Indeed. You couldn’t,” she agreed. Her stare flitted over to the two attendants.

“The day is hot. You serve tea on such a hot day without ice?” Sakura scolded. The twins hung their heads as they listened. But then Azra raised her head.

“Your Grace, ice is only reserved for guests of honor-” she protested.

“Which I am. And this girl is my guest,” Sakura interrupted. She released a sharp breath, pinching the bridge of her nose. And then she flapped a hand at them.

“Go. Remake it,” Sakura ordered.

Azra and Esma exchanged a wary look. They bowed.

“Yes, Your Grace,” Azra said before they hurried out the door.

As Sakura refocused her gaze on Meno, she found the girl staring right back at her. Folding her arms across her chest, Sakura raised her eyebrows.

“The harassment. Has it been going on for long?” inquired Sakura.

Meno’s hand rose to touch her swollen cheek.

“No, Your Grace. I must have tripped,” the girl insisted.

“What strange floors they have here. They rise up to strike the faces of pretty, young girls,” Sakura mused.

When Meno just stared at her, Sakura offered her a smile.

“I’ve been in a fight or two. You don’t need to lie to me,” she added.

Meno flushed.

By the time Azra and Esma returned with cool drinks, Meno was in tears as she divulged her life story. She sobbed into the handkerchief she pulled from her pocket as she recounted the bullying. There was a strict hierarchy among the staff. Those that served the higher ranking concubines were above the lesser ones. And the older servants could make life hell for the younger, weaker ones.

“But you serve a high-ranking woman. You can’t be so awful at your job?” wondered Sakura.

Meno shook her head. She dabbed her cheeks with the sopping handkerchief. Temari moved from the window. Kankuro held out his own handkerchief as she walked past. Temari grabbed it and sat beside the girl. She gave her the clean handkerchief and patted her on the back. Meno gave her a tremulous smile before fresh tears leaked out of her eyes.

“It matters little, Your Grace. They hate me so much, but I try so hard. I just don’t understand,” she sobbed, burying her face in her hands.

“This can’t be right,” Sakura sighed, hand on her cheek again. “Who is in charge of all the servants? There has to be some sort of administrator.”

At this, Meno hesitated. She looked to Sakura. Then her gaze drifted to the twin girls standing behind Sakura. Sakura turned in her seat to glance at them too. The girls bowed.

“Are you concerned that someone in this room will report you, Meno?” Sakura demanded, facing forward again.

Meno rubbed her eyes. She looked down at her knees.

Sakura’s eyes narrowed. She relaxed her arms.

“Rest assured, Meno, should anyone take issue with what you say here today… I will take responsibility,” she declared. And then she tossed another glance over her shoulder. “You have my word,” Sakura then added.

Meno sniffled. Temari patted her back again.

Twisting the handkerchief between her hands, Meno bit her lower lip. “Oh…. um…. well, Consort Hoki is, Your Grace,” she finally confessed.

Sakura touched her pointer finger to her cheek. Her thumb pressed against her chin. She tilted her head to one side as she thought.

“Unfortunately, I have yet to meet Consort Hoki myself. I wonder what her thoughts on this sort of working environment are,” she sighed. Her eyes darted up when she noticed Mangetsu cross his arms. He met her gaze, gave a slight nod. She pretended not to have seen it. Smiling, she turned her attention to Meno.

“No matter. I’m certain Consort Hoki has worries of her own,” she added.

Sakura took a deep breath before she declared: “I like you, Meno. Why don’t you come work for me?”

Meno’s eyes widened. Her hands tightened around the handkerchiefs.

“Truly, Your Grace? Can I?” she blurted out. Her face turned red as she realized what she had said. She sunk back in her seat, looking down at her feet.

Sakura’s expression warmed. “You seem like you have a good head on your shoulders. I shall speak with Prince Baki about adding you to my service,” Sakura replied. When she glanced back, Azra and Esma’s faces revealed nothing. Sakura gestured to the twins. “I’ve been working poor Azra and Esma to the bone lately. I’m certain it will be a relief to them as well.”

They finished their tea, Meno still sniffling. Sakura asked her a few more questions about her life, which Meno was more than happy to answer. By the time their cups and plates were empty, Meno’s face was swollen, but significantly more cheerful. Azra and Esma collected the tableware and left the room.

As she got to her feet, Meno bowed and thanked Sakura over and over again.

“Make sure Meno returns to her quarters safely. And pass this message along to the Prince,” Sakura instructed, pressing a note into Mangetsu’s hand. He nodded. Mangetsu then held the door open for Meno.

Sakura waved at the girl, smiling as she watched her go. But as soon as Meno turned the corner, Sakura lowered her hand. She glanced over her shoulder.

“Are you sure about this?” she whispered.

Suigetsu braced his forearm on the doorway. He craned his neck to peer past her before he spoke.

“The twins reacted when you talked about Consort Hoki. They’re likely her spies,” he replied, keeping his voice just as low. And then he stared at Sakura. “But you already knew that. I don’t know why you’re asking me.”

Sakura raised her eyebrows. “I suspected. That’s different,” she corrected.

“So why bring that girl? It’ll raise more suspicion to replace them, M’Lady,” warned Suigetsu. He peered up and down the hall again. His gaze fell to Sakura again when he felt her grab the sleeve of his shirt.

She smiled. “My Aunt has always loved chess. And she taught me to love it too. But don’t you think it’s more fun when the pieces are alive?” she murmured before she released his sleeve. She stepped back into her quarters. Suigetsu stared after her. And then he broke into a grin.

“I knew it would be fun to stick with you, M’Lady,” he chuckled as he followed after her.

Later that evening, Sakura lay on her back.

Everyone else had gone to bed. Temari was in the room next to her’s. Gaara and Kankuro shared another one further down the hall. Gaara still had nightmares, and Kankuro liked to be there just in case.

Suigetsu had gone to bed too. Mangetsu would wake him halfway through the night to switch shifts. But for now, he prowled around the wing. There were guards on duty, but neither of the brothers trusted them. Every once in a while, his shadow slid under the door as he walked past. At first, his movements had jolted her awake. She wasn’t used to someone keeping such close watch. But after a few months, she was starting to find their presence comforting. Sometimes she even slept through the entire night undisturbed.

But this night, Sakura wasn’t sleeping. Instead, she was staring up at the ceiling. There were thousands of stars painted in gold, mimicking the patterns of the heavens outside.

With what almost felt like a stab of guilt, she suddenly recalled a face. Not as if she had ever forgotten him. But he drifted to the front of her mind.

The plan had been to make a connection with Sasuke. The Mountain Kingdom was a powerful ally to have. With the political instability that had weakened the Forest Kingdom, its neighbors seemed unsure of how to approach them. In times of crises, it was important to know how other countries would react. Would they stand back and watch? Would they seize a moment of weakness to attack?

She had made it her mission to ingratiate herself with Sasuke. It had been easier than expected. Because under that pomposity, which was all a facade anyway, he was rather intelligent and even funny.

Prince Itachi of the Mountain Kingdom was an unexpected boon.

She saw his wrist. The beautiful jut of his bone. The shape of his fingers as they curled around the doorknob. She liked watching those hands. Elegant in their own way. They were smooth and soft, unlike hers. And she knew because she could remember the way it felt against hers as they sat in the shade of a pergola.

Sakura closed her eyes.

Her whole life, she had learned to calculate each relationship. What did they have to offer? What would they ask for in return?

Even her friendships were all weighed this way. Ino, one of her oldest friends, had gone through this evaluation as well. And Sakura was confident that Ino had done the same to her. That didn’t change the fact that she liked Ino- preferred her company to that of most people she knew.

Ally. Eyes and ears. Bargaining chip. Scapegoat.

They all stacked so neatly. Like pieces she could line up on her game board.

But what was Prince Itachi of the Mountain Kingdom?

A prince with no support from his subjects. One whose own stepmother crippled with poison. Whose father remained either oblivious or uncaring. She already had the support of his brother, who had the best bid for the throne.

What purpose did he serve then?

“You look anxious. Are you alright?”

What did he have to offer?

“I wish I knew how to help.”

What would he ask for in return?

“You’ve always looked like a giant to me.”

She thought of Consort Hoki. Today’s events had made it clear to Sakura that she was a consort in name. But she had little influence over the workings of the harem. From a good family. But rendered powerless because not all the right pieces had fallen into place.

She dreaded falling victim to a similar fate. It was more important now than ever that she surround herself with people of worth. Those that would move when she could not. Those that she could rely on to redirect blame should things go wrong.

As all these questions swirled together in her head, she remembered the short letter he had sent months ago. Black ink. Perfect penmanship.

I miss you terribly today. All is well. And yet nothing is well without you here.

The following morning, Sakura set her teacup down.

She graced her companion with a smile.

“Prince Baki, thank you for making the time to see me,” Sakura greeted him.

++++

< Chapter 18 | Chapter 19 | Chapter 20 >

[woodrokiro]

Hollowed (fic), Part Nine

Fandom: Bleach

Pairing: IchiRuki: 

Summary: They call her a miracle, but he looks at her as if she’s normal. It scares her. Fantasy/Futuristic/Zombie kinda?AU. Read Parts One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, and Eight.

“That is ludicrous.”

“It’s not. It’s true.”

“You’re telling me that you think Measure for Measure is better written than Hamlet--” she watches him sputter, near choking on his own bafflement, “--one of the greatest pieces of literature written, so legendary that what’s left of literary scholars today are still talking about it five hundred years later?”

“I am. You need to read Measure for Measure again.”

“No don’t turn this on me, you need to read Hamlet again--”

“I already did. Four times. I’m not saying it’s bad. I’m. Just. Not. Impressed.” She crosses her arms and looks at him pointedly, working admittedly hard to prevent the smirk working at her face. “Anyway, that’s my personal opinion.” 

“Yeah, well, your opinion sucks--”

“My opinion is pristine.”

“Okay, so-so why would, like, hundreds of literary scholars disagree with you?”

“I don’t know these scholars you speak of that you read from one book, but I can tell you they’re dead and outdated.”

He huffs, twisting around so that his back is turned to her against the screen. Like he’s punishing her. 

She knows he can’t see her, but just in case she smothers her grin into her palm.

It’s strange, she considers as she moves the chair she was leaning against, studying the floor beneath the table. How quickly they’ve fallen into a bizarre sort of friendship--and over books at that. 

At the day’s end after they had exchanged Hamlet and King Lear, Rukia became rather embarrassed at herself. How rude she was at his misunderstanding her proposed arrangement, how quickly she had taken his valued copy from his hands…

How excited she became at the thought of having a reading partner. 

She didn’t sleep well that night. It wasn’t like her to act that way. The fact that she hadn’t had a literary friend in so long was no excuse. As a lady she was to have poise, she was to be elegant and reserved and not expect more of other people than what their duties called for, that was something she swore to herself after Kaien--

She was ready to apologize when his next shift came. Instead, before she could say a word he came back with her King Lear in hand claiming that Lear “was a total pissant.”

She still chose her words carefully around him, and days after the hospital left her not wanting to talk to him at all. 

But today was a good day, and she was rather ashamedly surprised that annoying him so easily was… Quite fun. 

As if on cue, he turns his head--but not enough to look at her. “You’re wrong.”

“On the contrary: I’m always right. I’m the Prized One, remember?”

He scoffs and shakes his head. “Whatever that means, I can see it clearly hasn’t gotten to your head.” He stops, and she can hear him wrapping his knuckles on the floor. “So you’re telling me none of it resonated with you? I mean, this guy’s birthright was taken from him, so he fought--”

“No, not really.” she stops him half-mindedly. Her gaze and attention is really on the small chandelier hanging above her table that needs quite a bit of dusting.”Besides: he doesn’t deserve to be king. His self-entitlement cost lives, and for what? What he thinks may have been a ghost of his dead father?”

“Well no one’s arguing Hamlet’s a good guy, but--that’s my point! Lives were cost at the selfish decisions of the rich. How about Ophelia, didn’t you feel a… I don’t know, a connection to how vulnerable she--um EXCUSE ME what are you doing?”

She looks down at his sputtering expression from where she stands on the table. “What? I’m dusting this chandelier.”

“Yeah I can see that, but Kiyone’s coming later and… I don’t know, has a ladder??”

“Kiyone’s gone for the day, and I need this done now.” She blinks at him. “Did no one tell you? My brother’s coming for a visit.”

“No one tells me anything here.” He grumbles, but still eyes her skeptically as she reaches up to polish the decorative glass petals. “Look, could you just--can you get down from there? You’re gonna get hurt, and he’s not worth it.”

“No I’m not; see? I’m already done.” She drops her rag on the ground below. “And don’t talk that way about my brother. Now, he’s coming soon so I have to--” 

She twists her body to find the chair from which she can step down, forgetting that she’s standing on what she realizes now is a rather slippery paper. 

She hears a shout as she tumbles down.

--

He’s shouting and Rukia is on the ground and groaning and goddamn it he knew this would happen and if the psycho doesn’t answer him this second he’s gonna blame her for the ten years shaved off his life but he can’t think about that now he’s---

He’s inside the room. Holding her. 

He doesn’t remember even twisting the latch open, or the exact moment that he decided to disobey her orders by coming in--but whatever. It wasn’t a question, coming to her side.

“Rukia. Hey! Rukia, answer me.” She grimaces in response, but he near bellows in a sigh of relief. “Jesus! You scared the shit out of me.”

“What are you doing over here, fool?” Her glare and tone could kill, but Ichigo just rolls his eyes. 

“I don’t know, why were you thinking you could just stand up on such a weak ass table and not get hurt?”

“That’s not the point.”

“That is the point, dumbass, that’s why we’re here!” 

“Don’t talk to me that way. Go back to your side, I’m fine--” she starts to get up, but flinches with a sharp intake of breath. 

Her eyes meet his and they stare each other down. 

“Where does it hurt?”

“I’m fine, I just said I was.”

“You just fell four feet at least, so no you’re not fine--”

“Quit overreacting, it���s not like I went unconscious--”

“Even so, you could have sprains. Let me have a look--”

“This is completely disregarding my orders--”

“Rukia, sit on the damn chair and shut up!”

He thinks she’s going to scream back for a moment, until she follows his orders with an irritated huff and pulls herself up to sit in the closest chair he had pulled for her. Ichigo doubts she really  gave up that easy, and that he’ll have to pay for it sometime later.

Whatever, he can deal with it once he finds her injuries.

After giving her head a once over and asking her repeatedly whether she hit it (the answer is a bratty, resounding “no” each time, which leaves Ichigo somewhat relieved), he moves back to look at the rest of her body.

“Where does it hurt then?”

Silence. 

“I’ll wait right here as long as I have to.”

“... My hands broke my fall, but my ankle is rather sore.”

Ichigo nods. “Makes sense, if you twisted it,” he mutters before kneeling at her feet to take a closer look.

Surprisingly the ankle looks fine; a little swollen, but nothing that can’t heal on its own. He gently feels out the rest of the foot, gingerly pressing his thumb into different points of the fragile bones.

“Here? Is it okay here?”

She doesn’t answer, but he can feel her nod. He swallows thickly, moving his hand slowly past her ankle, up around her calf.

Her skin--he tries not to notice--is very soft.

“Here…?” He looks up and finds her watching him. Her lips are slightly parted, and her half-lidded eyes look slightly… Hazy? Dazed? Curious? 

He doesn’t know what to call them, but he knows he’s not able to look away.

He’s caught by the stillness of the moment--his looking up at her, her gazing down at him--and he’s pretty sure the only noise in the room is his breath, the creak of her chair. He should probably do something, say anything to make this normal again--and he’d rather not do anything because the only thing he can do would be very inappropriate and something he very much does not want to do so he opens his mouth to speak--

“My sister Karin is unhappy in the kitchens, would you be able to put her in masonry?”

Rukia’s eyes snap open wide. Her face falls, startled and even a little sad and she firmly kicks her leg from his grasp. 

Ichigo wants to shove his whole fist in his mouth and choke. 

You absolute piece of shit.

“Of course, I’d be happy to put a good word in.” She clears her throat, looking anywhere but him. “Are you done? I’ve told you, I’m all right.”

“Y-yeah of course. Sorry.” He stumbles back onto his heels, brings himself to stand on suddenly jittery legs. “Look, Rukia, I didn’t--that’s not what I--”

“That’s Lady Rukia to you.”

The two of them jump at the unexpected voice, and turn to see where it’s coming from. Byakuya is standing at the doorway, coolly eyeing his sister and her flustered bodyguard.

He sees her get up rather quickly and bow. “Brother, I thank you for your presence--”

“Are you hurt, Rukia?” Byakuya directs the question at her, but keeps his eyes trained on Ichigo’s. “I can only imagine that was what was happening so distastefully with your bodyguard. Though how he would have any medical knowledge is beyond me.”

“My father often offered medical assistance in the Valley--”

“Medical knowledge in the Valley is akin to a monkey learning how to be a doctor here: not even close in their knowledge.” 

Before Ichigo has the chance to snap, Rukia pipes up. “He did well in searching for immediate injuries, Brother. And I have no doubt the medical facilities look for anything he might’ve missed tonight.”

“I would believe so.” He eyes Ichigo sternly for another moment before turning his attention to his sister. “In any case, you know better to be careful Rukia. I don’t need to remind you of your delicate condition.”

“Of course, Brother. I only wanted the room to look nice for you--”

“Guard, you may leave.” He nods curtly back to Ichigo. “I require a private meeting with my sister, and from there I will accompany her to the medical facilities.”

He hears a sharp intake of breath from Rukia. “So early today? Can’t it be a little later--”

“The hospital needs to see you sooner for another test. Their schedule cannot be helped.”

“... Of course.” Rukia bows again, then turns to Ichigo. “Ichigo, you may go. Thank you for your service today.”

Ichigo grits his teeth. He knows Rukia was looking forward to Byakuya coming, but he doesn’t like the idea of this fucking asshole nitpicking her without anyone to protect her. 

But then… He was just a fucking asshole to her, too.

And Rukia’s still not looking him in the eye. 

He walks out of the room, past the captain with tightened fists before slamming the door with a frustrated thud. 

--

Lunch with her brother has never been… Well. Comfortable. Particularly after he’s just found her and her bodyguard in a compromising position. 

Not that it was at all what it looked like; Ichigo was just checking her for injuries, after all. Maybe she felt… Dizzy when he was gently pressing her ankle, his calloused hand moving its way up her calf--but she can blame the lightheadedness on her fall. Besides: it was clear he thought nothing of it, either. The way he asked for his sister… 

She’s not offended, she muses as she pours more tea into her brother’s cup. Not in the slightest. She’s rather used to people asking things of her, and it’s all right. Really. He’s already proved himself a capable servant, he can ask for things. 

It’s better that there’s distance, she thinks as she holds the cup out to her brother with two hands. It’s better to think of him as just that: a capable servant. Don’t blur the lines like last time.

“You look deep in thought today, Sister.” Byakuya observes her from behind his raised cup. “Is something the matter?”

She shakes her head, shakes the annoying feelings of disappointment and loneliness from her mind. “Not at all. I’m just rather tired. I suppose I wasn’t expecting to… To go to the hospital so early today.”

“It is necessary. You know the tests are planned very carefully.” He replies shortly, but there’s a tinge in his voice that she knows is not unkindness. “After tonight, you will get a bit of rest. I have requested that they give you a longer break before your next visit.”

She bows her head low. “Thank you for your kindness, Brother.”

“It is no kindness. I would think it does little good for the doctors to have you so weary, as they have the past few weeks.” He sips his tea nonchalantly, but she knows his action for what it is: a mercy.

They are not common from him, but she knows he does try where he can.

Which is why she knows moments like these are the best times to ask.

“By the way, Brother--if you would be so inclined… I would like to ask for my favor of the month. My bodyguard--Ichigo Kurosaki--”

“I know who he is, you need not describe him by name.”

“Of course. His sister… I believe her name is Karin. If I am to be believed, she does not make a great fit in the kitchens--”

“Has she made your meals incorrectly? Does she need to be reprimanded?” Her brother drums his fingers slightly on the table.

“No! No, nothing like that. Just… I believe she might be better elsewhere. Perhaps Masonry? From what I’ve heard, there are always workers needed there--and I’m sure she is quite capable of the work.” 

Byakuya watches her evenly, and she resists the urge to squirm or gulp down the rest of her tea in distraction. He doesn’t tolerate people that can’t hold a level conversation with him--no matter how intimidating he may or may not know himself to be.

Finally, he lets out a dignified snort. “That group has been spoiled enough already,” he lets out, clearly irritated. “The boy is your bodyguard, one is being led around our classified medical facilities, the others have jobs citizens more qualified than them have been requesting for years. Yamamoto believes they bring good, but I do not.”

“I think--I believe they are just hard working people with no place to go--”

“They could’ve gone someplace else. There are other villages that still exist… But very well. If you request to have the girl moved… Then I trust your judgement.” He looks at her, and it’s subtle--but she’d say it is one of exasperated affection. “You ask too much for others, Sister, and not enough for yourself.” 

She is about to say something, thank him for his kindness yet again when he clears his throat and stands to leave. “Shall we go, then?”

Rukia nods, stacking her dishes neatly for Kiyone to take while she’s gone. 

She tries not to think about discomfort she’ll face tonight, the raw pain that’ll sure enough be in her shoulder.

But It is worth it, she tells herself until it gives her the strength to stand taller. 

So long as I’m helping people, it is worth it.

[bleachluna]

Three First Kisses

This all got inspired by the prompt 'How'd they be after their first kiss'. It's more of a tangent rather than strictly following the prompt, but I liked how it turned out! I hope you enjoy! Also on AO3!

Their first ever kiss had been decades ago now, not that either of them actually remembered it. They'd been in nursery, Toshiro barely four years old and Karin only seven months older. They had decided to play with toy cars but there were only two left in the box, besides the ones that either had tires missing or didn't roll very smoothly, and Karin figured those didn't count. She didn't really like the yellow one, but she gave Toshiro the blue one anyway as she knew it was his favourite colour. Toshiro had always been bright, and he quickly worked out that Karin had decided to put up with the car she didn't like so he could have the best one. Toshiro wasn't always very good with words, especially back then, so he grabbed the sides of her face and clumsily pushed his lips against hers instead. Karin had blinked at him for a moment before smiling and hugging him briefly before pulling him away from the toy box and towards the part of the floor that was best for rolling the cars around, and that was that.

Their second kiss, the first one they remember, is the one they both consider to be their actual first. Looking back, Karin supposes it had been building for a while. Toshiro's family moved when they were still in elementary school, not too far away, he didn't have to change schools thank goodness, but it meant he ended up in a different catchment area than her when it came to middle school. Going to different schools and living just a bit too far away to visit on her own had inevitably led to them drifting apart, eventually not hanging out at all. Karin always thought that was a shame, Toshiro had been her first friend, her best friend, but because of something as simple as location it fell apart.

She distinctly remembers the moment she saw him again, the first time in years. It was the second day of high school and she had gone to the lockers to grab something only to find him at his, a few metres away. She had called out his name immediately, mainly out of surprise and watched as he turned to face her, recognising her instantly. Karin was a little impressed he did to be honest, it had been ages since he last saw her and she had changed a lot. She'd become taller than him, her hair long, her face slowly losing baby fat. Toshiro had changed too of course, but with his white hair and bright blue eyes he was always much easier to spot. At the time Karin hoped they could just pick up where they left off but found that it wasn't really possible. They both wanted to be friends again, the effort was there, but it was awkward. Back in elementary school they always knew everything about each other because they had been friends since nursery, they spent practically all their time together as they were in the same class, it was pretty much impossible to hide anything from each other. But suddenly they had to learn about each other in a way they hadn't before. They had become firm friends again within the month but it felt different, like there was a barrier between them.

It had taken Karin a while, several months in fact, to figure out what that barrier was. Why talking to him felt different, why she didn't feel like she could be as tactile as she used to be. They had put the barrier up themselves, a self-defence mechanism, afraid to get too close to each other, because things were different. Karin found herself looking at Toshiro a little too long just as often as she turned to see him rapidly look away, clearly having been staring at her. Watched Toshiro turn down dating offers for flimsy reasons like being too busy to date despite having no problem going with Karin to watch new movies at the cinema, or going to the park with her. Just as she turned down boys for, well, not being Toshiro. It had been frustrating, dancing around each other for months, with Karin constantly flipping between being sure he liked her back to being sure they were just being friends and she was fabricating it all in her head. Both of them would push against the barrier between them, test it, but they always pulled back, scared to push all the way through. Until one day in June. It had been stiflingly hot, and Karin had been completely fed up of being cooped up in a warm school building all day, so the minute the bell rang for the end of the day she found Toshiro and dragged him to an ice cream shop nearby. It was too busy for them to sit inside, so Toshiro had pulled her towards the side of the building instead, away from all the pedestrians, the tall brick wall giving them a bit of shade.

Karin had been teasing him, about how he always got watermelon flavour without fail, while Karin had a tendency to try out different flavours, her favourite seemingly depending on the month. Toshiro had rolled his eyes, told her that she hadn't actually tried watermelon yet, and that she wasn't allowed to judge him until she did. He scooped some up with the little plastic spoon and held it out to her. She knew he was goading her, didn't actually expect her to go for it, but she thought it would be funnier if she did, staring him down as she guided the spoon in his hand towards her mouth. Watched as his eyes widened a little in surprise, and then go down to her lips, staring at them. Karin didn't know why that day was different, maybe the heat had gotten to her head or something, all she remembers thinking in that moment was 'fuck it'. She went for it, went crashing all the way through that barrier and kissed him. Her right hand still holding her ice cream cone, she slid her left hand round his neck, pulled him to her and pressed her lips against his, perhaps a little aggressively, but Toshiro didn't seem to care. His hand mirrored hers, gripping the back of her neck lightly and he kissed her back. It was a little awkward, with it being their first proper kiss and Karin pulled back after a moment to giggle at it all. Toshiro smiled back, blush on his cheeks before they both looked away. It had taken a couple of tries to start a conversation, both of them feeling pretty embarrassed and shy even though they were happy. Eventually through stilted words they had managed to agree out loud that they should start dating.

Karin hadn't really thought about their future back then. She was only sixteen years old, she was just happy to be dating the boy she liked, didn't really think about whether they'd last, where they'd be in ten years. She wondered if that's why things went so well, because they didn't really overthink it. Naturally they ran into problems, the main one being going to different universities, but they had been dating for two years by then, long distance sucked, but with their solid foundation they weren't about to split up just because of distance, not again thank you. They loved each other, it was easy to stick together. And sure, maybe they took longer to get married than other people expected, but it had simply been their natural path. Dating throughout high school and university, getting engaged the year after graduating at the age of twenty two. It was a little strange at the time, a voice in her head asking that 'wasn't she too young to get engaged?', but it was one of the easiest decisions she'd ever made. She and Toshiro had just been regularly separated for years to study, they both wanted something to definitively tie themselves to each other. Both of their families were ecstatic, wanted to start planning the wedding immediately, they didn't really understand that at the time they only wanted to be engaged. Betrothal felt right, marriage not quite yet. She was confident in the promise, but not in their situation just yet. They were still trying to settle into careers post-graduation, trying to get finances sorted, trying to find a place to live together before they went all the way to marriage. They didn't even think about wedding planning till another year later. Well not officially anyway. Both she and Toshiro had ideas ready before they started properly discussing, making it obvious that they had been thinking about it, to themselves.

Said wedding planning took a while, they were both busy, working full time, and they weren't really rushing to get married anyway. They took their time, writing out ideas, forming to-do lists and eventually settled on a wedding date fifteen months in advance. Their first idea was to get married in June, to get married on the anniversary of their first kiss. It was a sweet, romantic idea, but not really a practical one. Toshiro hated the heat, and while Karin tended to fair hot weather better, she didn't know if that would hold true while wearing a wedding dress. They ended up going for September instead, still warm and sunny, but not overly hot. The wedding planning went by in a stressful blur and suddenly she was here, on their wedding day, a bit over ten years later from when they started dating. Somehow out of everything the thing she was most nervous about was the kiss. The kiss they'd share after all the ceremony, after all the vows. Karin had no doubt about marrying Toshiro, had no doubt that the wedding would be lovely, both she and her soon-to-be-husband were pains in the asses about organisation, so she doubted anything major would go wrong. But she's never had to think about kissing him in front of all her friends and family before. It was a weird feeling. It was going to be their first kiss as a married couple, part of her felt like it should be private, just between them.

She tried her best to hold back her nerves as she walked down the aisle, as she stood up next to Toshiro, looking as beautiful as he ever did. She didn't want him to think she was nervous about marrying him, that part was fine. Fantastic even. It had been a long time coming. She let out a breath of relief as she noticed the little signs of nervousness on his face, feeling grounded next to him, knowing he felt a little nervous too. As expected, the whole ceremony went without a hitch, except for the vows where it took all of her strength to not cry as she spoke. She didn't want to cry now, she didn't cry often but when she did she could cry for ages, and she wasn't about to do that with dozens of people watching her. A couple of tears escaped as Toshiro read out his vows to her, the realisation finally hitting her. She was marrying Toshiro. She was marrying the absolute love of her life. And suddenly she didn't care that everyone was watching. Their minister finally, finally, proclaimed that they were officially married, and that Toshiro could kiss her. She didn't give him a chance. She threw her bouquet vaguely in the direction of her bridesmaids and grabbed him, desperate to kiss him, her husband. She didn't care about their audience, about how they looked, she was officially married to the person she loved more than anything, this was their first kiss as husband and wife, and she was going to kiss him properly thank you very much. She pulled an inch back from him when she ran out breath, grinning happily at him, unable to stop herself from kissing him again. She pulled back a second time, for good this time, laughing a little at the shy look on Toshiro's-, no, her husband's face. “You're stuck with me forever now.”

He held her hands and grinned back at her. “I wouldn't have it any other way.”

[kunoichihatake]

Hard to Get Chapter 13 (Sasuke x reader)

Prompt: none

A/n: *screams because things are actually starting to happen*

Pairing: Sasuke Uchiha x female reader

Words: 787

Warnings: none

Masterlist / ko-fi / previous part / next part

You laid on your bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to sort out your thoughts. I like Sasuke. Oh my god, I like Sasuke. Suddenly, it all began to make sense: how he made you feel so flustered, how you always wanted to be around him, how seeing him give you one of his rare smiles made your whole day so much better. Shit. You covered your eyes with your hands, rubbing them. What am I supposed to do? I promised Sasuke I wouldn’t catch feelings for him like every other girl, and yet… Your thoughts were interrupted by your phone suddenly vibrating next to you. You checked the screen and saw you had a text from no other than Sasuke himself.

“Hey, you okay? You seemed a bit off today.” You unlocked the screen and typed out a response.

“Yeah, I’m good.”

“Did Karin say something to make you upset?” He responded almost immediately.

“Nope, I’m fine. Just tired.”

“Okay...I’ll see you tomorrow, then. Study after school?”

“Sure,” you responded, locking your phone and setting it on silent mode. You stared back up at the ceiling again. I just have to get through this project, and then we’ll probably stop being friends since he doesn’t have a reason to hang out with me. Plus, it’ll be finals, and then summer, and we probably won’t see each other during all that… Still, your heart ached at the thought of losing Sasuke as your friend. The two of you had grown quite close over the past month, and you had grown to like him a lot -- more than just romantically, you thought with a groan. You opened your eyes, staring at the ceiling and letting the light sting your pupils for a moment, then reached for your phone. You know what you had to do.

“Can you come over?”

--

You sat on your bed between Sakura and Ino, clutching a pillow and staring at your feet. Sakura’s hand was on your back, and Ino’s was on your shoulder, and you were glad for the stability that their touches brought.

“So you really have feelings for Sasuke, huh?” Sakura asked gently, and you nodded. She and Ino knew better than to tease you in such a serious moment, and for that you were grateful.

“Well, what are you gonna do?” Ino asked. You squeezed the pillow a bit tighter.

“I have no idea,” you said, chuckling nervously. You saw your friends exchange concerned looks out of the corner of your eyes, but you kept your gaze fixed down on the floor.

“Do you want to...be with him?” Sakura asked.

You sighed. “I don’t know,” you said truthfully. “I don’t even know that he likes me like that.” Ino squeezed your shoulder, and you turned to look at her.

“He absolutely does,” she said quietly. “Even Karin sees it, and she’s blindly in love with him.”

“Karin?” you asked, your heart pounding. Ino nodded.

“She came up to Sakura and I after school, when we were studying outside. Started asking us if you and Sasuke were a thing, and when we said no, she got mad and started talking about how you clearly liked each other and it was only a matter of time.” Ino chuckled gently.

“Then she totally switched gears and started asking about that new kid, Sai,” Sakura said, her eyes sparkling with the laughter she didn’t dare let out while you were still upset. “It was almost like she totally wrote off Sasuke. It was super weird. All this time, she’s been pining after Sasuke like crazy, but it seemed like that changed all of a sudden.” You stared at Sakura, unbelieving.

“Yeah, what happened there?” Ino said.

“Actually, Karin confronted me after school too, right after class let out,” you said. You told them the whole story of how Karin had confronted you about Sasuke, how he had shown up and pulled you away, and the conversation you had with Sasuke afterwards that had made you realize your feelings for him.

“Holy shit,” Ino breathed. “Y/n, you’ve got to tell him how you feel.”

“Why?”

Sakura spoke up. “Y/n, look at me.” You looked into her face, and saw her green eyes sparkling with -- was it happiness? “Sasuke has avoided Karin as much as entirely possible for the entire year. For him to stand up to her, on your behalf...he absolutely likes you more than a friend.”

“I totally agree,” Ino said. You took a deep breath, looking between your two best friends, both of which were smiling at you encouragingly.

“Shit, okay, then,” you said, feeling your heart begin to race in your chest. “How do I tell him?”

--

Tag list: @createdbyinvisibles @andreialoveshp @alysplxnet @excitedlysuffering @yonaren1996 @dylvaz @februaryhare @crazii-chibi @tempo-rary-fix @beamariiag @fangirlingbookworm1 @freddielanteigne (send me an ask/like this post to be tagged in future chapters of this fic!)

[ssa25]

Mythological AU - Sasuhina Month 2020 - Day 17

@sasuhinamonth

Rating: Mature

Based on the story of ‘Perseus and Andromeda’.

His body moved relentlessly over the keening and writhing warm body. His eyes were closed, his jaws clenched, and his mind created visions of half lidded moon eyes, swollen parted lips and inky blue hair sprawled over his sheets. He imagined it was her soft voice that was moaning for him. And soon, like every other time since he had met her, he came groaning loud into the neck of his bedmate.

The red haired woman was panting under him, having reached her peak at the same time as him. She knew the usual custom for their shared nights, and sat up as soon as Sasuke collapsed onto his back.

As the woman picked up her clothes, the celebrated demigod was in a reflective trance like always. But it was soon broken when his door was banged urgently.

“Who could that be?”, Karin asked him, but he just moved to the door without bothering to answer her or donning his black tunic.

Unabashed, he opened the door to see familiar eyes stare back at him. Almost similar to the ones he had been imagining moments before. But they were not hers.

“Prince Neji… What brings you to my door in this humble city?”, he asked with mild incredulity. The young prince seemed distressed and even the hero’s nakedness did not bother him.

“Sasuke…. I have come to beg you to return back to the kingdom…”, Neji said in a rushed manner.

“I’m afraid that is impossible…”, Sasuke replied gravely. “ Need I remind you that it was you and your king, who banished me from your soil…”

Prince Neji seemed repentant as he shook his head, “We were easily susceptible to doubt and dread… That you might usurp our lands and the princess… It was our wariness that led us to do the unthinkable… But we realise our mistake... Please, you must accept my apology Sasuke and return right this moment.”

Before Sasuke could reply, he found Neji’s eyes wander behind his back. Karin, now fully dressed rushed out of the modest home, without glancing at the two men standing by the doorway.

“Have your sentiments towards Princess Hinata changed?”, the Prince asked the demigod with a hint of fear.

Sasuke simply folded his hands and glared at the man. Born as the son of a God and a mortal, he was blessed with supreme powers that made him nearly invincible in the mortal realm. He was one of the fiercest heroes that had graced mankind, and his heroic tales were spread far and wide. The only reason he had relented to King Hiashi’s demand for banishment, without lifting his sword to challenge his decree, was because he was quite enamoured with the peace-loving and beautiful Princess. And he refused to cause her any heartache by slaying the stubborn king or his warriors. The woman who was unaware of his emotions would never consider him as anything more than a monster if he did otherwise.

“It is strange you ask me such a question... When she is betrothed to you!”, he spat at him.

“She won’t be anymore.”, Neji replied with pain in his eyes. “Not when her life is hanging by a precarious thread…”

Sasuke was shocked to hear such words. He grabbed the Prince by his armour and asked him with barely tamed rage, “What do you mean??!!”

“Princess Hinata has been offered as a sacrifice…. For the queen’s words of praise for her beauty has earned us Poseidon’s wrath… The Oracle advised that sacrificing Hinata was the only option... And to save us all from utter ruin, Hinata insisted on offering herself... Chained to the devil’s creek, she will be ravaged by the sea monster within the next three days… I wish I could do something to put an end to this insanity… And while I would happily fight and lay my life for Princess Hinata, I fear that it might not be enough to save hers at all… Only the most blessed warrior with inhuman strength can defeat this fearsome opponent… You are our only hope Sasuke!! You are the only one who can slay this monster and save her from a horrific destiny…”

There were very few things in the world that could truly petrify him. And this predicament was exactly that. Gathering his wits, he stomped inside his house to dress himself up with the strongest armour. He grabbed his sword and swore to himself that he would either save the woman who held his heart or die trying.

-

A deafening screech woke up Hinata from her state of unconsciousness. Her arms were sore from being lifted up and bearing the weight of her body since the last two days. Her body was cold and shivering with an intense ache on her left side, as she had suffered a painful lash of the sea monster. She has instantly collapsed into a state of senselessness because of the excruciating pain and horror.

She blinked her eyes open and saw a blurred dark figure brandishing a sword against the dreaded monster. The setting sun was in her eyes, so she could not realise the identity of her saviour. But she noticed that he was perched aloft on a flying creature. Was it a pegasus or a bird, she did not know.

She tried to say something to stop her saviour from meddling in this unfortunate event, but her throat was extremely parched to utter any coherent words. It was proving extremely difficult to maintain consciousness, as the loud clashes of the sword and terrifying screams of Poseidon’s behemoth echoed around her. After what seemed like an eternity, her drooping eyes caught a glimpse of the slain sea creature falling into the waves, and she allowed her body to drift off to numbness.

-

Sasuke flew over to the chained maiden, as soon as he defeated his toughest opponent. He alighted his trusted winged pet on the shore and rushed to the practically naked body of the Princess. Remnants of her muslin gown hung from her shoulders, as an angry red welt on her waist marred her alabaster skin.

Quickly, he unchained her and caught her cold body in his arms. It was evident that she was weak from being tied up for so long without any food and water. Without being able to help himself, he kissed her forehead in relief and swore to himself to protect this noble woman for the rest of his life. Her eyelashes fluttered for a bit, but she did not regain her senses. Without further delay, he carried her back to the palace.

-

“We will forever be in your debt, Sasuke!!”, King Hiashi announced in his court. There were loud cheers and applause for the latest heroic act of their returned hero. He had saved their beloved princess from the clutches of danger.

But the man of honour, could only glare back at the King. He did not want appreciation, gold or accolades. He wanted Princess Hinata to recover her health as quickly as possible.

“How can we ever repay you for your valiant deed? Nothing can measure up to your magnanimity!!”

“There is something that I wish for, King Hiashi!”, Sasuke declared loudly for everyone to hear. The whole court grew silent and waited with bated breaths to hear the demand of the hero.

King Hiashi straightened up in his throne and grew a little nervous at the determined expression of the demigod.

“Well, let’s hear it..”

“I need a wife. I want to have my own family.”

Murmurs erupted in the courtroom, but were hushed as soon as Hiashi raised his hand.

“Of course, you can have your pick of the loveliest of young maidens in our kingdom.”

Sasuke shook his head slowly. “There is only one woman I have in my mind.”

Hiashi sighed heavily, as he understood the implications of his words. It would be painful to give away his daughter when he had just got her back. Not to mention, he had promised his elder daughter’s hand to her cousin who was next in line for the throne. Hiashi looked over at Prince Neji who nodded his head in affirmation. It was only fair that Hinata married the man who had endangered his life in return for hers. 

Hiashi accepted Neji’s decision and thought for a moment before he spoke up.

“Very well, Sasuke. You can have whoever you want, but I only ask for you to gain the maiden’s consent before you wed her.”

Sasuke smirked at the King, knowing he had won half the war. “I agree.”

-

It took Hinata twenty two days to recover completely, before Sasuke asked her for her hand in marriage. Realising that he was her saviour, she thanked him and gladly accepted his proposal.

The two were wedded soon after, and Sasuke whisked the Princess away from the Kingdom to his native city, where the two lived happily in their modest but loving home. Eventually, the couple were blessed with seven sons and two daughters.

x

[rinusagitora]

You’re in all my dreams.

Fandom: Bleach

Characters: Karin Kurosaki, Toushirou Hitsugaya, Momo Hinamori, OC- Mae Izumi

Pairings: HitsuKarin

Words: 2.2k

Summary: Shinigami!Karin AU. For HitsuKarin Week 2021. WARNINGS- mentions of suicide, dysfunctional families; Karin graduates Shin'ou and shares her dreams with Toushirou.

AO3

For the last six years, Karin dreamed of the day she’d graduating from cadet to officer and don the shihakusho like everyone she ever admired.

It was an anxious future filled with wonder and promise she never knew back in the World of the Living. Going from cadet to captain of a small force was going to be quite the culture shock, perhaps even more than the cold water of the river where she drowned. But she made it, and it made her much more confident in her ability. Officers were chosen from a pool of graduates and turnover was infrequent since few officers passed away in peacetime. It made competition fierce and even rarer that a graduate obtained a seated position out of the gate.

She was equal parts nervous and excited. For the time being, all Karin wanted to do was enjoy the graduation bonfire.

Mae toppled onto the log, sloshing rice wine onto Karin’s lap. She laughed. “I’m sorry! I’m sooo hammered.”

“No worries. I think I’ve puked on you more times than you’ve spilled on me.”

“Indeed, we swapped roles tonight.” Mae tapped Karin’s nose. “Tonight, of all nights, you choose to be reserved. Why?”

Karin hummed and swirled beer. “I’m nervous, I think.”

“It’s a big change.” Mae looked over the crowd. “Where are Hinamori-fukutaichou and Hitsugaya-taichou? I expected them, of all people, to be here.”

Karin’s reikaku grazed the crowd. Momo was there, just chaperoning. Keeping firelight between bodies like a puritan. Perhaps rightfully so. They were the new faces of the Seireitei. It was better not to romp in the woods right over poison ivy before recruitment day. Pussy itch was a different kind of awful. The kind of awful where Karin, who was once impaled, ended up curling up on the floor crying while Izuru healed her crotch and Shuuhei and Renji laughed in the next room.

The crowd parted for Momo like river water around stones. She stopped before Karin, and Karin smiled at her mentor. “Hi, Momo-senpai.”

Mae nodded. "Hinamori-sama."

"Izumi-chan, I hope you're enjoying the festivities."

"Oddly enough. It's strange letting loose… but I see where Karin-chan's alcoholism comes from. Dancing while intoxicated is liberating."

"Indeed." Nonetheless, Momo cocked her head and curiously looked over Karin. Karin knew the jig was up from there. She and Ryuuji were normally in the center of the action, and Karin hadn't so much as howled or toasted once that evening.

“Leave us, Izumi-chan.”

Mae managed to right herself and bowed to excuse herself. Gracefully, Momo took a seat beside Karin as she cursed internally. She didn't want to talk about it, but Momo always dragged out her bad feelings and laid them in the open.

“It’s odd you’re not out enjoying the festivities. This is your… thing.”

“It’s just really hitting me that I’m going to be a shinigami,” Karin told Momo. “I’ve been working toward this goal for six years. What do I do from here?”

Momo laughed. “Six years is a blink of an eye for the majority of us.” She held Karin’s shoulders. “There will be plenty to do, Karin-chan.”

“I can’t believe we’re all in a squad just after graduation, though.”

“Who? Izumi and Kawashima?” Karin hummed affirmatively in response to Momo, who then grinned. “Believe it or not, Iba-taichou wanted Watanabe. I think Watanabe is in for a reality check.”

“You are far too happy over that.” Karin couldn’t help but share Momo’s thrill, however. Chousuke Watanabe was a thorn in her side for six years, being her friend Ryuuji’s tormentor. Tetsuzaemon would straighten him out. The very picture of manhood and chivalry according to Momo. It was far too rewarding imagining Chousuke getting reamed by a six-foot wall of meat and battle scars.

"Bias is something I never shied away from. It's been a driving force in my life, for better or worse." Momo kissed Karin's forehead. "For best, in your case. You've been family since the moment I laid eyes on you, Karin-chan. My own in many ways. Every obstacle you've faced, you've overcome, and are better for it. I am so proud of how far you've come, and I'm so glad to have played a part in it."

Karin smiled bashfully. At least she had Momo.

Momo lovingly jostled Karin. There it was. Momo buttered up Karin just enough and was about to get her to bust open a can of worms. "What's on your mind?"

"I just… I thought Toushirou would be here. I haven't seen him all day today."

"I'm not supposed to tell you, but," Momo whispered, grinning, "he's preparing something special. Be patient."

Her heart pattered. "Oh." Of course he was. She was a little ashamed that hadn't occurred to her earlier as if they hadn't developed years of trust and affection, or at least a solid friendship. Nonetheless, Momo stroked Karin's hair, reminding her she was only human, that something so little wouldn't ruin everything.

Speaking of… Karin picked up on a familiar, icy reiatsu approaching. It was Toushirou, still in uniform. She smiled and Momo tapped her on her nose.

"See?"

"Not yet, but he's coming." Momo only rolled her eyes in response to Karin's lame joke.

"I'll leave you now. Enjoy your night, Karin-chan."

"Thanks, Senpai. I love you."

"And I love you."

Toushirou was still in uniform with his hands tucked into his sleeves. As he passed, Karin's fellow cadets parted and bowed to him. He ignored the attention, however, instead sporting a smile as he found Karin on her log.

He'd undergone hormone therapy in recent years to trigger a growth spurt. And he'd grown up to be a handsome young man, with looks rivaling stars in the World of the Living with access to renowned surgeons.

"I hope you've been enjoying yourself," he said. He took a seat next to her. He smelled like flowers. "I never attended these things, truthfully."

"Did you want to try dancing?" Karin asked.

"Well… I don't know," he said. Toushirou pulled a modest bouquet of daffodils from his sleeve, tied off with a turquoise ribbon. "It's not a big gift, I know, but I hope it reminds you that you're always welcome in juubantai."

Gingerly, Karin took his bouquet and smelled them. They smelled like spring. "I love them," she said. "Thank you."

She pressed a kiss against Toushirou's cheek, and he happily hummed. "I'm glad you like them. It's hard buying gifts for you."

"As if."

"It's true," he replied. "All Matsumoto wants is a day off, Hinamori loves spices and tobacco, and the boys are happy with some sake. You, on the other hand, easily get your hands on sake and tobacco, and hate downtime." Toushirou crossed his legs. "I should've consulted my sister."

Karin frowned. "But I like them…"

"The flowers? But they're such a lazy gift," he scoffed.

"I like everything you give me." She smiled. "Really, thank you. I love them."

He laughed bashfully. "Well, I'm glad."

Together they sat amid drums and singing and firelight, swaying with it, until Toushirou asked, "I don't want to take you from your friends, but I’m not enjoying myself here. Do you mind going elsewhere?"

"We can leave," Karin said. "Where do you want to go?"

"Someplace quiet where we can see the stars."

Her cheeks were warm at the idea. How romantic.

Karin bashfully followed behind Toushirou, holding his hand as he guided her away from the bonfire. When it was dark, he illuminated the way with kidou, assured in every step. A gorgeous man. He'd grown into his looks. His cheekbones were high, his shoulders broad. She could swoon until early morning over his handsome shape.

Up a hill, through a grove, and up a steep path, until they reached the peak of a sheer cliff. The stars above looked like a river of life. They didn't twinkle but were a steady pathway carved in the sky. Karin fell onto the grass and marveled. "Wow. When did you find this, Toushirou?"

"Not long ago. I wouldn't keep this from you  without a good reason." He smiled at her. Sitting, he said, "Do you like it?"

"Yes!" Karin nigh tackled Toushirou and kissed his cheek. "It's beautiful."

"I should've brought wine."

"This is perfect." Karin laid her head on Toushirou's shoulder. Together they stared into the stars. She searched for constellations but found none she recognized. "Do you think the World of the Living and the Soul Society have different stars?" she asked.

"I'm not sure. No one spends time looking up in the Soul Society. Those who do, don't seem to have the technology contributing to significant findings," Toushirou replied. "I'm not much of an astronomer either."

"You're a man of the law."

He laughed bashfully. "Aye."

Karin drew pictures in the stars herself. Birds, men, kitchenware, like she remembered from her human life not so long ago. Six years was nothing compared to how long her peers lived, was it? Not Momo, who was approaching a century and a half. Not even Toushirou, well into his seventies by that point. But Karin couldn’t remember the names of the stars or where to find them in the sky. How much longer did she have until she overwrote their patterns with other things? How much longer until her sad mortal history was forgotten in a sea of everything else?

There weren’t immediate answers to her questions, but Karin was fine with that. She said, "I remember hoping a rope would drop from the sky and drag me by the neck. Put me out of my misery."

"Understandable," Toushirou replied.

"I'm so much happier here. It's not always easy, but..."

"Slow and steady?"

"Yeah. Slow and steady wins the race. And I'm glad to be with you for it."

"So," Toushirou said, "no more sky-ropes to hang you until you're dead?"

She giggled. "Not anymore. I don't fancy myself a pirate, anyway."

He hummed. "I had a dream some time ago. Similar to yours... although I remember it being less grizzly," Toushirou confessed. She pulled her gaze from the starlight and saw him cloaked in darkness. Still, his eyes shined with wonder. Adoration. "A dream that assured me you're the love of my life."

"Go on," she said.

"I was being puppeteered by the sky. Dragged around day in and day out. And I saw the strings on you, into the sky as far as my eyes could see. And yet despite time, and fate, and all the horridness that plagued life for some time, we fought to be together." He clasped her hand. "Our strings became tangled and pink like cherry blossoms in spring. Like sunset. And... and I never want those strings freed." His blue-green eyes met hers. They made her melt like her body was hot wax in a leather bag. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Karin."

It felt like forever before she caught her breath. She asked, "Are you proposing?"

"If that's all it takes to spend the rest of my life by your side, and you at my side, I'll fetch a ring now. Propose properly in front of as many people as you like.”

Karin giggled. Picturing Toushirou hopping onto a bar counter, sake raised high, and screaming how deeply he was in love with Karin to their loved ones and peers, was quite a sight to behold! Yet, as anxious as he was to do so, she replied with, "Not at all. But let's make plans down the road. When I'm settled in."

"Of course." Toushirou sighed happily. They kissed. "I'm so in love with you, Karin."

"And I love you."

"I could stay here forever."

Karin hummed. “We have forever to do that…”

He turned to meet her gaze. “But?”

“I want to do more.” She sat up. “We work because we’re more than just lovers. We’re friends, confidants, partners. Warriors and artists and scholars.”

“Of course,” he agreed, propping himself on his palm.

“I want to be married, and I want forever with you, as much as I want-”

Toushirou said, completing Karin’s statement, “More.” He held her hand then. “It’s one of the reasons I love you. My recruitment was necessary. Yours is nothing but-”

“Desire.” She gazed into the stars, searching for divination in the blanket covering a slowly rotating plane.

“Then what more do you want?”

“To give justice and safety to those who have been and yet to be hurt. No one should suffer as I, and we have. I want to tear down the caste system here. Hold nobility responsible for their actions and give power back to the people, and eradicate the symbols of fascism and cruelty. I want to reconnect families. To make the Rukongai safe, so no one’s starving or resorting to crime to survive. And…” Karin turned to Toushirou, her breath stilling as she saw his eyes swimming with adoration. “And I want to mold the next generation to dream as I now dream, and to better the world. And I want to do all of it with you beside me, Toushirou. As equals.”

Toushirou cupped her cheek. He kissed her, and she held his sleeve. “Let’s do it. Together,” he said. Their foreheads touched. “Together always.”