Chapter 40 (Kumiko)

His skin was smooth. Pure perfection.

I kissed his collarbone and he grinned, "Morning."

"Not quite," I looked out at the window where the night sky was only beginning to brighten slightly.

He reached out and brushed back my hair. I leaned into his hand and shut my eyes. His thumb glided over my cheekbone. Then over my lips. Finally, his thumb brushed over the soft flesh of my throat. I shivered against him and grinned.

"You're not tired?" He chuckled and turned us over. He looked down at me as I lay on my back. I wanted to stay like this forever, with him looking at me like this. "We've been up all night."

"You've got a lot to make up for," The rasp in my whisper made his eyes heavy. I shut my eyes as he leant down and took my breast in his mouth, "You have a whole century to make up to me."

"Yes, ma'am," He cupped my face and kissed me softly. Every taste, every touch left me more and more breathless. I hummed deeply as I felt his lips touch the curve of my ear, "Keep your eyes shut."

I did as he said. Every sound was louder—every sensation felt more intense. He started with a kiss. Simple and sweet. I grinned against his mouth, unable to wipe it off my face. Then his fingers pinched and nipped at my skin. I gasped and he quickly took advantage of my parted lips. Our tongues clashed while his fingers had me writhing underneath him.

The length of him pressed against my thigh. I spread my legs apart for him, hoping he'd act as quickly as he did when my lips had parted. He only continued to caress the soft flesh and hardened muscles of my torso. Playing me. Torturing me with pleasure and anticipation.

I reached out and traced the valley of his spine. The curve of his ass and legs were flexed as he held back from my entrance. I greedily bit at his lips, frustration manifesting itself into physical need. He only grinned.

Those excruciatingly exquisite fingers suddenly were between my legs, feeding and filling me like I wanted. I opened my eyes and blinked as he pulled his hand away just as quickly as he had moved it there. He chuckled and kissed my nose.

"Keep your eyes shut, Kumiko." It was impossible to not listen to his every word when he spoke in that deep, low voice.

"You're such an ass," I mumbled as I closed my eyes and leant against the pillow. There was no reply and no touch. I felt the weight of the bed shift and I thought he had gotten up and left, "Kisuke—"

His tongue touched me where his fingertips had and I was quickly silenced. My eyes tightened and I pressed my heels into the mattress, breathing out shakily.

After he had me crying out softly to him, he braced himself over me, "I love you."

I opened my eyes and met his grey gaze, whispering softly, "I love you too."

He grasped my hips and took me gently. I looped my arms around his neck and pulled him flush against me. His breaths consumed mine, just as we consumed one another. I hungrily kissed him and he moaned. His fingers flexed into my shoulder as he grasped them.

I let my head fall back as the pit of my stomach felt heavy and hot. He was feeling it too. The inevitable orgasmic pleasure that blackened your mind for a brief moment. His breath was warm and moist against my neck.

We definitely made up for lost time that night.

After, he draped his arm over my waist as I curled up to him. My back was flush to his chest, and I traced the lines of his hand.

"Tomorrow's coming too fast," I whispered to him.

He pressed his lips to the back of my head, "I know."

We were fighting Aizen when the sun rose. I watched the sun slowly dye the sky, and I dreaded it.

"Shizuko's going to be there…"

"She is," He trailed off just like me, and I'm sure we were both thinking the same thing. We were both worried about her being there. We both wanted her to be somewhere safe.

"I'm going to be keeping my eye on her so don't you dare get yourself in shit street. I'm not saving your ass."

He laughed, "Okay, it's a promise."

I turned my head to look back at him, "Kisuke?"

"Kumi-kun," He smiled.

I touched his cheek and he shut his eyes, "Please don't die."

He leant forward and kissed me, "Like I said. It's a promise."

Metal clashed and screeched together like enraged beasts. I spat in the Hollow's face, just as he had done to me earlier. He only laughed, but his eyes grew wide as I lifted my hand from my sword and grabbed his.

"What the fuck are you doing, Shinigami—"

"Hado Number Eleven, Tsuzuri Raiden."

Electricity rippled from my palm and along the sword of his zanpakuto, traveling up his arm and seizing his body. I jumped back as a massive fire consumed him, healing my bleeding palm as I let the spell run its course.

As the smoke cleared up, I jumped towards him. He swung at me but I dodged it easily now that he slower. He roared as I grabbed his shoulder and smirked.

"Hado Number Four, Byakurai."

I blew a massive hole in his shoulder, shocking the Arrancar into a state that bought me a few extra minutes. I quickly swung my sword over him, slicing through his half-broken mask. He disintegrated.

Byakuya was battling just behind the slain Arrancar, and doing well. I looked around and saw that everyone else was engaged in a battle as well. So far, I couldn't see Kisuke. Several Shinigami faced off Aizen, and they weren't doing as well as we'd like to see. I jumped to join them when I heard a yell.

Shizuko had her Shikai unleashed, but was jumping away from her opponent. I watched as she blocked off an Arrancar that had be making his way to sneak up on Byakuya, dispatching him quickly. Byakuya turned around and they exchanged a couple words.

Before my eyes, I watched the Hollow she had been originally fighting warp behind her. His sword ripped through her from behind, skewering her through the chest. I screamed as she looked down at the piece of metal sticking through her.

She went limp.

Byakuya and I were both very still before all hell broke lose. I jumped towards the Hollow and tackled him before I could think anything through. He kicked Shizuko from him sword, leaving Byakuya to catch her, and met my sword with his own.

"Kumiko," He smirked. My mind came to and I realized in horror who it was, "Long time, no see."

"Hisoka," I growled, "You're supposed to be dead."

"Miracles of Lord Aizen's zanpakuto…though I can't say the same for your daughter. She is yours, right? From your reaction, I'd say I was—"

I slammed my foot into his face, knocking him back into the building behind us. Rushing over to where Byakuya and now Kisuke had laid Shizuko, I pushed past them both. She was pale. Lifeless.

"Shizuko!" I pulled her into my arms and sobbed. My hands glowed green and I placed it over her chest. This felt all too familiar—except this time I knew it wasn't a trick of Aizen's powers. This was real. She was actually bleeding to death in front of me. "Shizuko—Kisuke, help me!"

He also began to try healing the gaping hole from her chest. Together, we managed to bring her back into a state of consciousness. She weakly opened her eyes, blood dripping down her mouth.

"Mom…" She wheezed.

I bowed my head against her chest and cried. My entire body shook against her as I watched her die right in front of me. Kisuke was doing his best but fuck this was bad.

"You'll be alright," I cupped her cheek and smiled, "It's going to be fine."

"I love you," Her face crumpled. She knew that I was lying through my teeth.

"I love you…" She shut her eyes before I could finish. I looked over at Kisuke and he squeezed my hand.

"She's just asleep…Kumiko—I…" His eyes were glassy too, and he looked down at Shizuko again. His palms grew brighter but I knew what he what he was going to say to me. He couldn't make any promises.

"I'll take her, Kisuke," Tessai appeared beside us, "You need to help Ichigo."

"Thank you," Kisuke leant down and kissed her pale forehead. He got up stiffly. Looking at me, he began, "Kumiko—"

I turned to Hisoka. He was laughing. It was all it took for me to feel pure blackness take over any rhyme or reason in me. I took my zanpakuto in both my hands and let any control I had over my spiritual pressure loose.

"Kumiko!" Kisuke reached out to me as I was consumed by flames of green.

I met Hisoka's eyes. He was going to die this time. He was going to stay dead. He stumbled back from me, like he knew that only Death echoed from my eyes.

"Bankai."

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Next Update: Maybe we'll get to see Kumiko's Bankai...; Shizuko's fate