A/N: Well, that was a nice little hiatus…though unexpected. Finals ate my lunch… eek! Anyhoo, I am back and I brought a nice juicy chapter with me! And guess what?? It has a lemon in it! Enjoy…don't drool on your keyboard too much.

Chapter 16: The Point of No Return

Was it something I said…?

He found her right where he knew he would. The raven-haired Soul Reaper that had stolen his heart was now occupying the spot on the top of the sekki-sekki rock that he had always called his own personal hide-out.

Gliding silently and quickly to the spot at the base of the wall, he merely stared up at her dark silhouette swathed in the cold night air. He could see that she was trembling, but whether it was from the cold or the sudden onslaught of unexpected emotions he did not know. He still could not understand what motive she had possessed to just turn and run away. What did I say? I thought that she seemed almost happy for a moment…

Finally resolving himself to try to understand the problem, even if he, himself, had caused it, he swiftly hopped upon the spot just beside her on the cool stone. When she made no move to acknowledge his presence, he sighed heavily and attempted to speak, "What happened?"

He was surprised when he received no answer, sure that she would at least lash out at him in anger or scoff and roll her eyes as she usually did. But nothing came from the silent figure residing beside him in the frosty night. Glancing over at her, he noticed that there were still small bloodstains on the white hems of her hakama. Trailing his eyes a bit further he noticed the lines of goose bumps cascading along her forearms, the culprit in the shivering crime.

Not knowing what else to do at the moment, he quickly removed his zanpakuto by its strap and set it gently beside him on the quickly freezing rock. Turning back to the shivering woman, he swiftly removed his Captain's haori, sliding it elegantly from his shoulders. Without another thought, he immediately wrapped the thick, but baby-soft fabric around her trembling form, leaving an arm around her for added warmth.

Still receiving no reaction, but not nearly as surprised this time, he closed his eyes and whispered, "You know, I'm not really great at this whole 'comfort' thing. I'm sorry…"

What happened next startled him more than he had probably ever been startled before. In the time that it took him to take another breath, the young woman beside him had turned quickly and wrapped her arms around his neck, her breath hot on the junction between his neck and shoulder. Then, she breathed more than said, "I don't deserve you…"

His eyes shot open wider than saucers and his breath hitched in his throat for the umpteenth time that night. His arms reflexively wrapped around her tiny waist and he began blinking in an attempt to sort his thoughts. "What…?"

He could feel her exasperation swelling from her. She quickly pulled away and did something that no one had ever dared to do to him before except herself. She reared back and slapped him across his left cheek.

In the aftershock of the moment he could feel the sting of the mistreated flesh swelling slightly, his porcelain skin tinged with an angry pink. He blinked for a moment and slowly raised his hand to touch the abused flesh, almost as if to prove that it was not just a dream.

Before he could protest, anger, or completely freak-out on her, she spoke calmly and precisely. "Now, if you would just listen the first time I wouldn't have to do that. I said that I don't deserve you. I don't feel that I am worthy of calling you mine. You are so many years ahead of me, you have lived two lives, and you are a Captain, a Heavenly Guardian, and a master of your zanpakuto, not to mention a genius. I don't even compare…"

He almost had to refrain from laughing. "Is that what you think? You honestly think that you don't compare…you are dumber than I though."

Her eyes widened and he could see her begin to clench her fist and prepare to hit him again, but he was ready this time and grabbed both of her wrists, pinning them to the stone beneath them. "You are a beautiful, young Soul Reaper with a hellish temper and a thirst for justice. You are my Vice-Captain and you haven't even died yet…you are the legendary Millennial Guardian, my counterpart. But more than all of that you are the one that figured me out, the one that found a way in when no one else could. For that I can give no one else the honor of calling me hers. I would never choose another to give my love to and entrust with my life. One day you will understand…"

Then there was a moment. One of those moments where time stands still and the world disappears because nothing else could possibly matter as much as this does. Aizen could rise from the dead and open an attack on the Seiretei with full armies of Espada and it wouldn't faze either of them. That moment was one where neither needed to speak, but merely to exist?

Before either could register what was occurring his lips were devouring her soft, fresh ones with a hunger that neither had known before. Tongues began to battle for dominance and teeth clashed against each other as the nipped at lips and fought to quench the thirst of their passion. Eyes were fastened tightly shut and noses began to collide in the friction that was threatening to drive them both insane if fruition was not achieved this time.

Hands began to grope aimlessly at faces, necks, shoulders, arms, and other hands. His large, callused ones found their way to the nape of her neck and the curve of her waist while her own soft, tiny ones appeared at his forearm and cheek. As his lips continued to curve against her own, his hands crept to her obi tie, tugging lightly at it to unfasten the light knot allowing the white fabric to fall limply around her hips.

When he lightly parted the thick black fabric of her hakama, his thumbs brushed gently over the soft, warm flesh of her tummy, eliciting a small whimper into his mouth and a tremble. This was all he needed to be completely turned-on and surrender himself to the passion and release that he had desired for so long. Wasting no time he untied the tie of her hakama pants and tugged them loose, the fabric pooling at her knees on the cold stone. "Let's take this to solid ground, shall we?" he said more than asked, grabbing her by the waist and throwing their bodies off of the wall, landing gracefully on the soft dirt beneath them.

At this point her clothing was hanging, barely fastened to her own body, but that didn't matter to him as he scooped her into his arms and shunpo-ed to the small garden that was located behind his residence. Not even bothering to move, he thrust her feet to the ground sliding her hakama pants from her knees to pool at their feet. Kicking them to the side, he began to devour her mouth once again, tongues dueling a battle that none could compete with.

Her hands found the ties of his hakama and swiftly unfastened them, sliding the top from his shoulders and letting it fall behind him on the wet grass. Her fingers began to trace, once again, the contours of his tightly defined muscles and ribcage, memorizing them with her touch.

The sensation drove him absolutely nuts and caused him to become almost animalistic. He let out what sounded like a mix between a growl and a moan before grabbing the neck of her sports bra and literally ripping it from her body, the seams at the shoulders coming undone with an audible 'rip.'

He wasted no time suckling on the juncture of her neck and shoulder, creating sensations in both of their bodies that could not be explained. Then, out of nowhere, as if God had tried to extinguish a fire before it happened, hard, cold rain began to fall in the Seiretei…

They paused for only a moment to shiver from the sudden temperature change and exhilaration before returning, as if uninterrupted, to their ministrations.

As the water began to course down both of their hot bodies, it only succeeded in creating a surface that frustratingly held no friction. His hand slowly and torturously made its way to her warm, wet, supple left breast, massaging it gently in his palm while his other hand reached for her hip. She let out a strangled moan and bit down on his shoulder. This only fueled his need more and moved him to grab both of her hips and lift her into the air, wrapping her legs around his own hips and bringing her to the perfect level to remove his hand on her breath and replace it with his mouth, gently nipping and sucking at the swollen, sensitive flesh. Rolling his tongue over the tight bud, he evoked a sharp cry from the trembling woman wrapped around him.

Stumbling across his walkway, he slammed his door open, thankful that he had sent his servants away for the weekend. Entering his home and kicking the door shut behind him, he tripped, slamming her back into the wall, further lodging her breast in his mouth, but also pressing her body firmly against the now fully erect member. Eliciting a deep moan, he pulled away to run his hands over her chest and stomach, palming and stroking everything in their path while suckling her earlobe and receiving a pair of dull nails scraping down his own back hard enough to leave red lines.

The ecstasy that coursed through his body was bordering on the insane and he was crawling dangerously close to falling over the edge of reason and entering into a territory that reached the point of no return. Their rain-soaked, shivering bodies were pressed against one another, their torsos connecting as cool flesh met it's partner in an elicit love dance. She was also fast losing her battle with sanity and crossing into the forbidden realm of explicit excitement and attachment.

In a final moment of conscious thought, Toushirou detached himself and met those hard obsidian eyes that he had grown to love. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

This time there was the fateful eye-roll, "Fuck, 'Shiro, don't make me think about that right now! I wouldn't still be here if I wasn't willing to let you fuck me senseless…"

He was shocked at her tone, but somehow it succeeded in turning him on further, if possible, and awakening the dragon dwelling within his icy exterior. With another throaty growl, he attacked her mouth again and slipped his right hand down the back of her black 'hipster' boy-shorts. Her ass was cold, wet, and tight in his hand as he caressed the smooth flesh where it connected to the back of her thigh.

She was writhing softly in his strong grip, his left fingers flicking over the tight bud of her right breast. Shockwaves were coursing through both of their bodies and they knew this wasn't going to be able to go on for very much longer. So, in realization of her intentions, Toushirou lifted her hips once more and allowed her feet to touch the ground just long enough to slip her shorts off and glance down at her naked figure before him. She's fucking stunning…

After tearing his eyes from her figure, he unfastened his hakama pants tie and allowed them to fall to the wicker floor, his emerald boxers glimmering in what little moonlight reached their soaked silhouettes in the onslaught of hammering rain and darkness of midnight. The darkness was welcome though. Neither needed to really see the other, for their hands were quite content to do the mapping and discovering. The small amount of light that the oil lamp across the room emitted was just enough to make out outlines and a dim image of wavy detail and just enough to make their blood run crazy.

Before he knew what to do next, the little hellion he held in his arms had ripped the boxers from his body and taken a hold of his now weeping member, stiff and painfully aroused in her wet palm. His body tightened and he gasped slightly as he ran a hand through her wet hair and his other hand toyed with her inner thighs. He moaned into her mouth as his body traitorously ground against her pumping hand.

She noticed his shaky composure and decided that he was nearing his end. She needed to stop with the foreplay and allow him to take over. "Take me…" she whispered into his ear wantonly.

That was all he needed to hear to send him spiraling over into that land of no return. He embraced it and grabbing her hips, lifted her back into the air, and in one fluid movement, he sheathed himself inside of her. It happened so fast that she didn't even have time to wrap her legs around his hips and was left to just hang there for a moment, suspended in time. His bruising grip on her hips and the leverage of her back against the wall were the only things keeping her from falling to the floor into a crumbled heap. She had no choice but to trust in his care and his strength. But that wasn't a real issue at the moment seeing that coherent thought had long since left this room.

She writhed and moaned against him, attempting to get her legs around his body, but she was so caught up in the feeling that she couldn't seem to get her body to respond to her impulses. His mouth was once again on her neck and his arms were hooked under her arms, his hand splayed and pressed firmly against the wicker walls behind Karin's back, supporting and creating leverage. His forehead found purchase at her shoulder and he caught a deep breath before pulling out slowly until only the tip was still sheathed inside. As he exhaled, he plunged back in forcefully and let out a low groan of satisfaction.

Whimpers of both pain and pleasure echoed throughout the room. Moans, groans, whimpers, gasps, growls, cries, grunts…Noises that cannot be recreated on request. Their breathing sped up with every thrust, pull, and bounce of their hips against one another. The force was becoming so much that he was literally thrusting her into the air and allowing her body to fall back down, impaling itself on his rock-hard erection.

He was getting close. She could see it in everything that he did: the way his body tensed with every thrust, the small whimpers that were beginning to slip from his lips when he fully sheathed himself, the trembling in his arms and legs, the ragged sounds of his breath increasing…

What she hadn't expected was the feeling of heat pooling in her own groin, threatening to take her over. "A little harder…" she whined.

He acquiesced, thrusting with wild abandon into her white-hot heat. The feeling of her enveloping in her moisture was intoxicating and he was quickly falling over the edge. This was it…the moment were he saw the white spots dance across his vision, blinding him to the world and all around him…all but the amazing sensations. Then it happened.

His body stiffened and he let out a strangled cry that echoed throughout the entire house, his seed being emptied into the depths of her womb. And it was at that moment that she also gave out a shaky groan and tightened around his pulsing length, milking him to completion.

Then it was over and there was silence.

Silence so thick that you have to wonder what was the meaning behind it.

Then, there were no words, but mere breathing and they sank to a pile on the floor. Toushirou resting on his knees, still lightly pulsing inside of Karin who was still wrapped around him, her back resting against the wall. Then, her legs fell limp to the side as he laid her tired form on the floor and knelt over her. He remained inside her, not wanting to break apart, because in the moment of completion something had happened. Their minds had merged and a giant burst of spirit energy had been released, much more powerful than the last time.

That is when he realized… Karin…?

'Shiro…? What the hell is going on…?

I think our minds merged…

Oh, good. I wasn't dreaming it…Wait! Is that bad?

With that he rested his forehead on her sternum and breathed into the small patch of skin between her naked breasts. Uh..NO!..It's okay…this is normal. But it's not a 'normal' situation. The only time this happens is when two Soul Reapers merge together and…

Wait…What do you mean…?

We'll talk about it later.

Then there was silence…

FUCK!

What!?

Nothing…we'll talk about it another time.

Ugh…whatever…

Here I go again…

Wait...What??

Nevermind…that's another conversation…preferably in real voices too.

Groaning, she tried to roll over before realizing that he was still inside her. Reaching down, she grasped the hilt of him and slowly pulled him out. He hissed at the sensation, but didn't complain. Once he was out, she rolled over onto her side and pushed her upper body off the floor. Glancing around the room, she noticed a blanket on the chair to her right. Grabbing it, she wrapped it around her and tossed him the smaller blanket to wrap around his waist. "I am surprised you have these, seeing as you don't seem to be the type to just get cold…"

He snickered slightly, "They're for Matsumoto when she comes in and naps when I allow her too. I'd much rather her be locked in here from the outside than have her flouncing about in a drunken state embarrassing my division."

Karin smiled softly then sobered once again, "We need to talk, I'm guessing…"

Toushirou did nothing but nod as he began to hear the sound of the rain pounding mercilessly on the roof once again…"Nah."

And with that, they moved to the grey suede couch. Karin grabbed his blanket from around his waist, tossing it away and wrapping them both in her larger blanket, heated skin upon heated skin. "I like it much better this way."

A/N: So….how was that? Was it what you hoped for? I'm guessing I left you hanging and thoroughly confused. If not then don't ruin it for everyone by guessing in a review. You will see in the next chapter…R&R!!!