I don't see what-." Hiyori grunted as she evaded another of shinji's blows. " the big deal is!!!" she complained as sweat trickled down her forehead. Shinji smirked as she tried coming at him only to flip away from her blow at the last second. She growled in agitation it'd been 3 hours and she couldn't even scratch him, "so this is what his power is really like, I hate to say it but… he's impressive, though the hell I'll ever say it out loud." She thought privately.
"yer captain asked me to help train you, and well a sweet lady like Hikifune I just couldn't refuse." He replied nonchalantly blocking another blow. "close this time, this little midget's actually got some fight in her, most people would've keeled over in exhaustion." He mused.
"keh you can't refuse any woman who bats her eyelashes enough times."the lieutenant retorted in annoyance, she jumped away as his sword drew near her arm. "he's so fast, I can barely keep up!"
"You're so immature it's called being a gentleman." He corrected swinging his sword skillfully through the air as every now and then it would collide with hers. "that's it, hold your sword tighter, arms length. I know you're studying me, I see your honey dipped eyes scanning my fight style." He mentally counseled to the blond lieutenant.
"yeah right it's called being a pig! Dumbass!" she countered trying to kick his sword out his hand only to have him catch her foot. " when did he have time to-." she widened her eyes as he grinned and tossed her across the field.
"better, but I know that wasn't even half the use of your talent." He thought awaiting her to emerge from the dust cloud around her. "let's see if a little motivation will get you goin' "
"I can't expect someone like you to understand what a gentleman acts like after all, no guy will even-
Whoosh!! in the blink of an eye the pigtailed girl had managed to scratch Shinji's robe. "that asshole!! Who does think he is telling me something like that!!" she cursed mentally her heart full of sorrowful rage.
"shut up and concentrate, don't think just cause you're a captain that I'm not a threat!" she warned getting into a fighting stance. He smirked knowing he hit a nerve by the way she was shaking in anger.
"baka, you wear your heart on your sleeve, who cares if guys don't look at you, I should be the only one." He mentally confessed smirking, a small blush crept on girls cheeks as she felt his grin on her.
"alright, but the reason Hikifune asked me to do this is because you lack grace with your sword, just swinging it around like an idiot ain't gonna help ya." He teased, she shouted in rage as she swung her sword straight for him, he sighed. "yeah… like that."
"your hand to hand combat is bar to none, but your swordsmanship leaves too much to be desired, I won't let you go into the battlefield unprepared, I won't let anything touch you, even if I'm not there, I'll make sure you can defend yourself, no one should touch what's most precious to me." he acknowledged as their swords violently clashed against each other.
"I don't need grace, I need to be able to defend myself and attack my opponent!!!"she countered as the blades clashed against each other.
"what surprise! He thinks I'm not good enough! That jerk's always underestimating me! I've fought so hard to get to lieutenant, he thinks just cause he's naturally talented it's that easy for all of us!! An asshole like him… nothing I do will ever be good enough, not my rank, not my swordsmanship, not... my looks." She silently criticized narrowing her eyes in scorn.
"I'm already a lieutenant for pete's sake my swordsmanship is impeccable." She shouted as she dodged one of his blows. He jumped in front of her before she could disappear. his face looked serious, she let her guard down for a second, his eyes… they always looked so… alive, she wished hers looked the same way.
"arrogant little brat, just cause you're good as you are doesn't mean you can't get better, Hikifune doesn't want her lieutenant to be good, she wants her to be the best, the greatest, she believes in your abilities and knows you're nowhere near your limit, you're potential at this point is endless!!" he scolded as he knocked the sword out of her hand, and ended up pinning her to the ground, his sword less than inch from her neck.
She gasped as all this happened in the blink of an eye, she'd only let her guard down for a second and for him it was more than enough. She blushed as his words may have sounded rough but she heard the bits praises beneath them. "he believes in me?... he thinks I can get better." She questioned as she huffed for breath from both shock and exhaustion, Shinji was in similar conditions.
He was about ready to pass out. "damn her, leave it to Hiyori to leave a captain exhausted." He took deep breaths trying to bring down his heart rate to a safer pace.
She blushed at feeling of his hot breath on her face, it made her feel strange. it made her heart hurt…in a good way. Her eyes deeply gazed into his as he too was lost in thought, his eyes strangely glazed over.
"th-that's my captain's reason… that's what she wants, why do you care so much? what d-do you want?" the lieutenant questioned breathlessly the minute the question escaped her lips, she wished to take it back, her cheeks only glowed redder as her deep breaths didn't seem to stop the dizziness she felt . Shinji's mind drew a blank as all he could do was stare into her eyes, her rich amber eyes. What did…he want? he looked down at her soft lips countered with her vicious fang.
"shin…ji?" she called out in meek voice, the captain looked back up to meet her eyes slowly he drowned in them. In those honey colored eyes. He carelessly threw his sword away as his hand had begun trembling. What he wanted was…
"you…" He admitted crashing his lips to hers. It took Hiyori a good 5 seconds to register what was happening, he was kissing her, this idiot, baldy, douche-bag, skirt-chasing, bastard-face… was…was kissing her as if his life depended on it!
"this isn't happening, it's a dream-worse! it's a nightmare!! it's!! it's… he tastes like sunflower seeds…" her mind drew complete blank, he kissed her so sweetly, she'd never felt so much love in her life.
Her cheeks turn red as she closed her eyes, her body didn't seem to register what her mind had as she clumsily responded to his kiss wrapping her arms around his neck as his hands wrapped around her waist holding her as tight as possible. Neither of them were romantics, heartfelt confessions were not exactly on their to do list but if for one moment they could show the other how much their heart desire them, then that's what they'd do.
"I need to breathe but… I don't want to, I know when I open my eyes-… hiyori you taste just like honey…" he confessed silently. His lips dawdling unlocked from hers, he didn't want to breathe if it meant never being able to kiss her like that again.
They slowly broke apart and as both opened their eyes they realized the giant line between friends and lovers they had crossed. Hiyori looked away blushing bright enough to be confused for a lobster, covering her mouth with her hand in shock. Shinji mistook her shock for shame. Hiyori faced him her eyes pleading to hear his voice, to speaking in the same tone he held moments ago.
"Shin-
"I'm sorry I- I don't kno- I'm sorry." He quickly interrupted standing quickly. Hiyori felt her heart shatter was his tone held remorse and shame not the love it had just moments ago. "I have to-
"oh ri-right I'll-." She paused trying to hold back any tears.
"i'll..just-." with that fraction a of sentence he headed off, she sat there watching him until he left, he refused to meet her eyes. She felt herself whelm up with tears as the idea of Shinji being disgusted by their kiss came to mind. She grabbed her sword and whipped her tears. Her heart of stone quickly returned. So what if he didn't love her like she dreamed, she never expected him to.
"grow up hiyori, you look pathetic!! he was probably so tired from training he wasn't thinking straight, like any guy would want you, geez you're a shinigami, a warrior, not a woman, for once think like one." She mentally scolded herself drying any would be tears.
"captain…captain!" Aizen called out trying to awaken his superior from his deep thought. Shinji was blankly staring into space with a pen in his hand.
"Huh- oh what is it Sosuke?" Shinji replied snapping back to reality. The lieutenant sighed.
"I have the rest of the paper work you requested but as I can plainly see, you aren't even done with the first pile." He responded in disappointment. "honestly Captain I know it's a lot but you can't just refuse to do it." Sosuke put the second pile on Shinji's desk.
"yeah, yeah don't start whinin', just get to helping me with this stuff, it's not like I can take all this by myself." Shinji replied. Sosuke sighed once more.
"if that's what you want." The lieutenant replied, shinji's eyes widened at his response.
"what d-do you want?" her breathless voice haunted his mind, those eyes… he could still feel them piercing through his own. Aizen noticed his captain's tension and called out to him.
"Captain is everything alright?" Aizen voiced in concern. Shinji looked up and awakened to reality.
"ye-yeah I'm just a little tired, let's get this paperwork done quickly I think I need some sake and a lot of sleep." Shinji replied.
"of course sir." Aizen replied taking a fair amount of the stack and heading towards his desk. Shinji's eyes still held that out realm look, his body might have been in his office but his heart was elsewhere.
"lieutenant… lieutenant!" a young shinigami called trying to get Hiyori's attention, he was quickly tackled by a few of his friends. The ruckus went unheard by the blond shinigami as she continued to stare blankly at the sky from the rooftop.
"are you an idiot!!!" they scolded in a hushed voice. "the lieutenant is never this calm… why would you ever disrupt her!!!"
"but- the reports we-
"man forget the reports, she's so out of it, she hasn't even yelled once! Just do your job and we'll take care of the reports, I think we could all use a break from her!" one countered as the rest nodded in agreement.
"well…okay but, doesn't she seem kinda … I dunno sad? I've never seen her like that so calm and quiet…she's not even frowning, she always frowns!" the young man questioned in concern.
"…that's true… she looks almost…heartbroken." One the girls added.
"heartbroken? Nah she's probably just tired, she was training with a captain this morning, I'd be pretty out of it too, those guys are the real deal." Another one countered.
"yeah… that's gotta be it." the young boy replied look up to see the dishearten lieutenant staring at sky with soulless eyes.
"captain I'm calling it a night, I advise you do the same, you look awful."Aizen recommended gathering his things together, shinji sent him a glare.
"yeah, yeah mind yer own damn business." The captain retorted in an annoyed tone. Aizen bowed before leaving.
"have a good night sir, try to rest." The brunette voiced, shinji waved him off and soon enough he was left on his own, he looked over at the flickering candle beside him and glanced back at mundane paperwork his signature had very sloppily marred.
"…I can't even spell my own name right now." He sighed dropping the pen from his hand running it through his long hair. Her face came back to mind, he couldn't get that awed look out of his head.
"is really that hard to believe… is really that impossible that I could love her?" he questioned mentally. his eyes narrowed as he quickly stood up.
"it's not going to end like this, I want her to know… I want her to know that I fell in love with her since I first saw her eyes!" He silently confessed as dashed from his office only leaving a fading candle and his waning resolve.
"damn it..." hiyori cursed under her breathe as she undid one of the knots on her hair fighting with a rebellious strand as she a attempt it to smoothen it. she was pretty out of it for most of the day, hikifune had sent her to rest, but it wasn't until 11pm that she actually obeyed the order, she just wanted to clear her head, to understand why he did it? why he did look so sure of his feelings one moment and so completely difference the next. She sighed it didn't matter how long she watched the horizon swallow the sun, the day was over and her heart still felt as broken as it did in the morning. she passed the brush one last time through her rough hair and set it down on her dress, she stared almost remorsefully at the mirror as a sigh escaped her lips.
"I really am… nothing special…" she thought bitterly, no matter how hard or how long she combed her hair it just didn't smooth down, it always sprung up like an unruly mess. "I'm nothing like Hikifune-sama, she's so beautiful, her hair is soft and smooth and her eyes are light blue like the sky…" she stared at her own coffee brown eyes, they seemed so plain, so uninteresting.
"no wonder he'll never give me passing glance." She spoke out loud. She stood up from her dresser, far too stressed to continue looking at her displeasing reflection. He'd popped right into her head, that egotistically bastard! her hands balled up into fists as she trembled in rage.
"that asshole!! How could he just do something like that!!!" she shouted demanding an answer from her ceiling. "How could he just toss me around like a rag doll, then kiss me!! and then apologize like an idiot!!! And!!…AND!!… and give me false hope! …" she declared as tears fell gently down her face, resignedly she landed on her bed. Auburn eyes watched her small figure tremble with each sob.
"you know in my defense… it's wasn't false." His smooth voice stated, he saw her shoulders tense at the sound of his voice. She turned slowly almost hoping she'd gone mad and his voice was in her head. Nope… there he was with a sorrowful smiled sitting at her window, his eyes met hers briefly before casting down, he was ashamed and she saw it. he was probably here to hush her about the kiss, him and his damn reputation! At the though of his supposed motive she shook in anger.
"what the hell do you think your doing in my room!!" she demanded standing up from her bed, his eyes briefly scanned her, all she had on was a light white kimono, probably her pajamas, even with red eyes and her face streamed with tears she was still the most beautiful girl in the world to him.
"answer me asshole!!!" she shouted as her left hand fastened her loose kimono, she could feel his eyes on her, she felt naked as those piercing eyes dug through her.
"…do you… do you love me Hiyori?" he asked locking his gaze with hers. her entire face turn a deep scarlet red. He smiled slightly at her reaction, her lips parted slightly as the dumb founded expression her face seemed to make his heart race alittle faster, he may have played the part of the smooth talker but deep down he was just as frustrated and confused as she was.
"do I... I- tha- that has nothing to do with what I asked you!! Don't try to confuse me like that boke!! I said-
"I know what you asked, I'm here to ask you another question, do you, hiyori, love me?" he interrupted standing from the window to approach her, she countered every step with a backwards step of her own. She could barely breathe, let alone speak… how could he demand such thing from her? to declare her unrequited feelings, was this a joke to him?… was this funny?! Seeing her hurt like this! Her eyes glistened with freshly whelmed tears as she glared up at him.
"I hate you more than anyone I've ever met." She hissed venomously. He looked down at her seemingly unphased to her false confession but inside his heart seemed to shrivel up from the immense pain.
"is that so, then I guess coming to tell you that I love you was a mistake." He replied smiling softly, as if trying brave terrible pain. Before he could met her eyes to see her reaction her felt a sharp pain at the side of his face, a small distinguishable hand print marked his cheek. Out of ever hit he'd ever taken from Hiyori this was the only one he'd ever felt real pain in, after pouring his heart her, he was met with a slap and a glared that could kill a man.
"is this a joke to you…" she seethed tears streaming down her face. " IS THIS A FUCKING GAME TO YOU!?!" she demanded.
"Hiyori that's not-
"shut up!! Just shut up!! I hate your voice! I hate everything about you!! I may not be as beautiful as all those girls you pine over asshole but I have a heart too! I have fucking feelings too!! Who the hell gave you the right to toy with them!!!" she exclaimed furiously, shaking from her rage.
"IDIOT INSTEAD OF YELLING AT ME LIKE FUCKING ALWAYS WILL YOU LISTEN FOR AGODDAMN SECOND!!!" he replied his patience long gone from her cruel remarks. His tone startled her.
"I love you! I've loved you since I first met you!! the very minute I saw you I knew I wanted to nothing more than to protect you!" he shouted his face red in indignation at his confession.
"I didn't need your help shinigami!" she seethed as she slapped his hand away, and stood up careful not to further bruise her injured ankle.
"don't flatter yourself I didn't kill it to save you, it was just in my way, and I'm not a shinigami…just yet." He lied picking her up, she kicked and punched him scrambling in a frenzy.
"what the fuck you do you think you're doing!!!" she demanded her face turning red as she felt his hands cradle her body protectively.
"what else stupid, getting you to a doctor." He replied.
That was the first time he ever saved her, but it wouldn't be the last, and that was the first time he'd ever thought about having just one woman all to himself… a short, bossy, foul mouthed, brown eyed, fanged little girl… was the farthest thing from his plain of thinking but one look at her eyes and he knew, this was the person he'd be willing to give his life for.
"you're lying!" she shouted.
"I'm not!! Damn it look at me hiyori, look at me in the eyes and tell me right now that I'm lying!" he demanded. She looked up, almost hesitantly, and searched his eyes, she saw a lot of things, fear, indecision, nervousness, even some sorrow but… she didn't see deceit in those smoldering brown eyes of his.
"I'm not lying, I'm not playing with you… Hiyori… I love you." he stated placing his hands on her shoulders. She didn't know what to feel…or what she was feeling! Her heart stopped for a minute then exploded the next, his words replayed over and over until it finally clicked in her head. "..he…he loves me..."
tears that had been whelmed in sorrow now whelmed in joy as she sobbed uncontrollably on his kimono clutching it tightly as his arms wrapped delicately around her.
"is it really that hard to believe?" he asked lightly… laughter choked by her sobs merged from his questioning. He knelt down and held her tighter. "I'm guessing that's a yes."
"I'm gonna ask one last time, try not rip out my heart and step on it again, okay?" he asked as she nodded her sobs simmering down. "do you love me?" he asked whipping her last tears.
"what ya think retard?" she replied though her words were rough her tone was ironically delicate. He chuckled, he should've known better than to expect a heartfelt confession, still she was his, she was finally his! and he'd be damned if she'd ruin the moment.
"I dunno what to think since your too chicken to say it." he teased grinning widely. She halfheartedly glared at him but resigned as his soft brown were beginning to hypnotize her.
"iloveyou ." she muttered as quickly and silently as she could turning redder than a tomato. He raised a brow and gave her an amused look.
"huh? Couldn't hear you!" he taunted leaning closer, she leaned away her face burning from embarrassment. She narrowed her brows in anger.
"I said I love you retard!" she replied clasping her hands over her mouth the minute the words slipped out. He smiled not his usual taunting smirk but a genuine smile, one she hadn't since they were young.
"now was that so hard?" he teased as she turned a deeper scarlet red.
"extremely." She replied bitingly, he laughed and she smiled at sound of his laughter it was rich and melodious similar to that strange human music he would listen to.
"this isn't gonna be easy is it?" he commented beginning to stand from his knelt position, only to be stopped as hiyori's hands still clutched his black robes tightly. She looked up at him with her soft honey eyes, she blushed as he smiled down at her, he knew what she wanted, she stood on her tip-toes and pulled him down as gently as she could to brush her lips with his. This kiss was much softer than their first it lacked the raciness but kept all of the love, as quickly as they kissed, they separated.
"no but that doesn't change the fact that you made me feel this mushy crap." She replied burying herself in his arms. He held her tightly.
"you're partially responsible yourself you know, why'd ya go get so cute on me!?" he demanded.
"keh, it's all your fault, with those stupid eyes of yours." She retorted.
"my fault? Ha if anything it's yours for bein' everything I wanted!" he replied defensively.
"mine? Yeah right it's yours! Smiling like that to me, what was I suppose to do!" she countered. The two stared at each other, as unorthodox as this was their confession, no sweet soft words just shouts and demands. They both bursted out laughing from how stupid they felt.
"this is strange." She commented her word mumbled into his kimono. Her heart continued to race she felt his hands comb her loose hair. "but it's nice."
"yeah… it is." He replied weaving his finger through her golden lock. "but it's also against regulations." He reminded her, a wicked grin placed itself on her lips, her fanged tooth hanging maliciously.
"just another reason why we should do it." she replied wickedly. He let out his own haunting Cheshire smile.
"you really hate authority don'tcha ?" he teased kissing her forehead, she nodded smiling. "but then again I've never been a fan of it myself."
"forbidden things always taste sweeter." She replied coquettishly. He smirked and leaned down to whisper in her ear.
"don't tease like that… I might take you seriously." He taunted in a husky voice. She felt shiver race through her spine, he's being teased? Please! She was about jump him then and there.
"teme." She replied blushing as he hugged her, laughing at her reaction.
"fair warning." He teased grinning like a cheshire cat, he eased into the embrace enjoying the feeling of holding her so closely. "you're so warm… neh I think I'm just gonna sleep-ahh owww oww let go!"A sharp pinch to his cheek he stopped midsentence.
"don't think so." She corrected. "I know you well enough to know not sleep in the same bed with you." he shook his head in disappointment.
"alright… but you don't know what you're missing." He teased giving her his famous heart stopping grin. It took all her self control not kiss him.
"baka, I think I'll be fine without your…company." She replied crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes.
"no sense of humor as usual." He replied rolling his eyes. " see ya around… koneko-chan." He flirted disappearing with one last kiss. She opened her eyes and blushed turning red in embarrassment.
"I'm not a kitten you idiot!!" she shouted only to find that she had been left alone.
"asshole." She mumbled. "using shunpo to try to look cool, keh what a showoff!"
It didn't matter what she spoke loud inside she was shouting at the top of her lungs "HE LOVE ME!!!!" her heart had just barely calmed down from all the emotions she felt. She looked out from her window letting the cool hair kiss her blushing face.
"Hirako Hiyori…I think I'd learn to like that name." she confessed only to the moon. Her dream of being his bride was finally in bloom, she only wished she'd had courage to tell him sooner, while he only wished the sun would rise again so he could see her cute scowling face.
End.
Hope you guys liked!! Remember REVIEWS MAKE MY HEART HAPPY, I know a lot you guys already review but it means the world to me when I open my e-mail and see all you're kind comments, and even if your comments are criticism as long as it's constructive it's more than welcomed. Please remember NO FLAMES!! I know I'm bad at writing, I'm just letting out my fangirl delusions if you're looking for high quality… you're at wrong spot! Anyhozzels big hugs and kisses!
Love alex.