Touch the Horizon

Chapter Twelve: Forced To Act

By: Light of the Firefly

One month later.

"Take a break, guys." Renji shouted to the group of new recruits he was working with. The remaining rookies all looked about to fall over where they stood, and some had already. They were banged up, their outfits dirty and torn. But at his words, a spark of hope lit up all their eyes as they bowed sloppily and thanked him.

He sheathed his zanpakto as he watched them stumble off for a cold drink and a few moments of rest. Training had been particularly brutal today, he almost felt bad for them. Almost. He would make sure they all toughened up. He would have no pansies in his squad.

He swiped a hand across his brow irritably, and glanced around the training grounds. It was midday, the sun blaring bright and hot on him. He was pouring sweat in the dark layers of his uniform.

But it beat staying in the office any day, cold jerk of a lieutenant notwithstanding.

He was a man of action, hands down. So the new arrangement between himself and Nanao was working quite well, really.

It had been over a month now since their exchange in the office that left him storming away from her.

And on his return, they had agreed, quiet readily, to a truce of sorts. In which she handled all the office duties, and kido lessons.

And Renji handled all the trainings and combat lessons.

It worked beautifully, as they were both in their elements and out of one another's hair. They rarely saw each other really, other than in passing.

Nanao kept things tidy and perfect in the office, and he beat the crap out of their squad and molded them slowly into more effective soldiers. They still have a long way to go, considering the 8th is known to be drunk or hung over at any given time of the day. So combat training has been pitiful, really. Not that they were out of shape, more like out of focus. If nothing else, their endurance has skyrocketed. He was impressed with their general idea of team work, he never saw such comradeship while serving in the 6th. Renji saw so much potential in the squad as a whole, and planned on dragging that out of them. Or beat it out, whichever it took.

And from what he has heard, Nanao has more free time to focus on the kido classes, so those classes have been just as intense. There has been obvious improvement in the squad's skill with the demon arts, even after only a month. At this rate, he couldn't wait to see how much more she would push them. Nothing could make him prouder than the improving level of competence in the division. It was every captain's goal to lead a strong, capable squad.

Although, he and Nanao were another story entirely.

Even though the squad realized there was some tension between their superior officers, they simply went along with the new routines without complaint. They were improving in both kido and combat, so it was surely hard for them to question their officer's methods. No doubt they had lots of practice ignoring their captain and lieutenant, considering the man who's shoes Renji was trying to fill.

Renji sighed heavily, and wondered if things would go on forever like this between himself and Nanao. Did Kyouraku have such a hard time with her at first, he wondered? Maybe they had bonded slowly over the 100 odd years together. He and Nanao only had 30 in, after all. Perhaps they would eventually meet on even grounds.

Sure, it worked well for the 8th this way, but it was a piss-poor way for captain and lieutenant to be with one another.

A month back, after he had calmed down over their argument (and drank himself into a stupor with Kyouraku and Urahara of course) he was able to approach her with a professional and distant mindset to rival her own.

He had woken up that very next day in the Real World, draped upside down in a too-small chair and a headache from hell, and thought to himself: Heck with it, I'll just treat her like she treats me.

He wasn't sure where such resolve had come from, but it most likely had to do with the other two men in the room. One of which had been asleep across the tabletop, the other asleep under it.

It was hard to tell which was which from the angle he was seeing from. It was then he realized his head felt swollen from hanging upside down so long.

Once he had righted himself in the chair and all the blood flow returned to normal, relieving some of his headache, he sat a moment to try to remember what he could of the night before.

It wasn't much, but he felt immensely better. Whatever they had talked about must have eased his mind on some level, because he could feel the change. His shoulders had felt lighter, and he couldn't find the anger he had harbored towards Nanao. In fact, he hadn't given as much of a damn about their argument as he had the night before either.

So, from that day on, he has done just that. Treated Nanao with the same direct, work-related monologue that she used with him.

And they have survived one another just fine since. No arguing, no hurt feelings, and nothing at all, really.

They ghosted around one another all day, and separated entirely when the shifts were over. Nothing changed, it was all the same day after day.

But, Renji mused as he heard the grumbling of the rookies approaching once more, she had changed.

Nanao had snapped out of her dark, melancholy mood. He wondered if all she needed was time, after all. She has since seemed more focused, sitting straighter in her seat, lifting her chin high when she spoke. She still seemed frail to him, but it was much better. She was eating again, he noticed, her face having lost the sharp angles of the weight loss, and her eyes weren't nearly as stormy looking anymore.

She looked healthier all around, and he was thankful for it.

They were a long way from forming any type of bond at this point, but at least she was better. She had hopefully found whatever peace she could with the situation and was moving forward now.

Yoruichi was right, after all, it seemed. Perhaps him doing nothing for her was the best he could have done. He would just wait, now. Let time tell.

The troops were lined up, looking wearily at him now. They drew their zanpaktos slowly, tiredly.

He grinned and drew his own, ready for round two

They saw the look on his face and they all groaned. It was going to be worse than the last session with their captain, it seemed.

"You're the most useless jerk I've ever met!"

"You're the most useless ANYTHING I've ever met!"

Nanao felt her brow quirk in irritation, but tried to find that calm place inside of her that allowed her to ignore such things.

There was the unmistakable sound of glass breaking from the room the two 3rd seats were in, followed by a heated argument over whose fault it was.

Nanao went on ignoring the commotion. But honestly, her patience was running thin with the two of them. It was like working with temperamental, stingy, jealous toddlers.

She took a deep breath and leaned back in Ukitake's chair, glancing around the office.

The captain's office of the 13th Division was spacious, and calming with it's soothing, light scent of heated oils floating about. There was the soft murmur of the gurgling koi pond outside that really set the mood nicely, as well.

The shouts outside the door were the only disturbance to the atmosphere, and Nanao was reminding herself that when the work was done, she could promptly leave.

She massaged her temples for a moment to release the tension. She hadn't been dealing with the 3rd seats that long, and already was ready to strangle them both. They were more than proficient in their work performance, superb really. They just needed to stay the hell away from one another. They were stuck at the hip, it seemed. She never saw one without the other.

Nanao suspected that the two idiots were the best of friends, under all the cursing and constant outbursts.

She didn't know how Captain Ukitake could put up with this constant nonsense.

Then again, much the same had been said about her over the years with Captain Kyouraku-

She winced at the thought, and forcefully shoved it out of her mind.

She instantly turned her attention back to her work to loose the trail her brain had taken. Flipping the page in front of her over and moved on to the next one.

She skimmed down the paragraphs.

There was another crash outside of the door, followed by the yelling, of course.

Nanao's fist tightened on the pen in her hand.

"Two more forms, then I can leave." She muttered to herself, picking up the pace of her reading. "Two more…"

She had been the on-again, off-again stand-in captain for about two months now, and found herself happy with the turn of events.

About two days a week, she was asked to fill-in here, and timing couldn't be more perfect really. She had needed extra distractions, and now she had them. The 13th Division was a well-oiled machine, so there wasn't much to be done, mostly signatures, but she liked having the extra workload to occupy her time with.

The whole division was a place of Zen, it seemed. As if Captain Ukitake's essence had rubbed off on everything around the 13th. The members were all soft spoken and polite, friendly as their well respected captain. Even the furniture and gardens were meant to make one feel welcome and relaxed.

If only the two 3rd Seats could find another area to bicker, she might have actually been happy with the circumstances. The few hours she spent here provided a tranquil environment, and the added paperwork kept her mind occupied. It was perfect.

To add to her upswing in mood lately, Captain Ukitake seemed to be responding to the experimental treatments, as well. His color was improving, and he told her a few days ago that his coughing spells were fewer since starting the new doses. She was truly happy for him, he deserved some reprieve from his illness. She hoped it lasted, and continued to improve.

Her own captain had been keeping his distance, and she wondered if he had finally given up on her for good. As stubborn as he was, she doubted it. Most likely, he was trying to think up a new approach, and she wondered what would be next.

Then again, she had made it pretty clear in their little argument a month ago, that she didn't want him to try.

And so far, he had done exactly that. They worked in the 8th together everyday, the atmosphere tense and silent when they occupied the same room. Neither one speaking beyond work-related things.

She felt awful about the space she put between herself and him, but knew it was necessary. They were Captain and Lieutenant, and it would stay that way. She would do it right this time, as she failed so miserably to keep the line drawn with her previous captain. And look where that had landed her, after all.

No, Nanao didn't need Renji to be a friend, she needed him to be her commanding officer and keep it at that. She didn't want conversation, or to spend time together more than necessary. She wanted to come to work, do her job, and leave. She was a loner to the core, and planned to keep it that way.

Safe, professional. The way it should be.

He would give up eventually, she decided. If he hasn't already. She had a feeling that he had thrown in the towel. For the time being, anyways.

All in all, things were going well. She was slowly climbing out of the hole she'd fell in. It was deep, and dark, but she was close to the top now. She could almost feel the light on her skin.

She was content, she supposed. At peace with the way things were. Acceptance, maybe? She didn't know what to call it. She's had two months to think things over, and what she realized made her feel…at ease.

Whenever she felt troubled, she continued to tell herself that things were fine the way they were. He was happy and healthy in another life, and that's all she could ever really ask. By now, he has surly forgotten all about her at any rate, and so he would live a normal human life, free of the burdens he was once chained with.

And, she had concluded, she was happy for him. He deserved no less.

She survived his death, she could certainly survive his life.

Sleep was still an issue. The nightmares still come frequently. Nanao figured she would be haunted for years to come yet.

Her appetite was returning, however, and she was glad. She had lost too much weight throughout all this. She noticed her reflection in a mirror one day in passing and almost didn't recognize herself. In her place was a pale, sickly looking woman, with sad eyes.

She's been working on changing that, trying to take better care of herself.

And so far, she has done a good enough job of it. She's gained some weight back, the extra work load keeps her mind busy, and she was starting to feel semi-normalcy setting in again.

She told herself repeatedly she could do this, tackle this issue. She wouldn't lay down and surrender, Ise Nanao had more fight in her than that. She would improve her situation to the best of her ability, and move forward.

It's what he would expect of her. And she never could let him down.

No matter how far ahead she moved, he would be a part of her life, always. And that was alright. It was how it should be.

Nanao was climbing, almost to the light again.

Then, naturally…everything fell down around her.

It was as simple of a thing as a black butterfly, fluttering to her with papery wings, that spun her life out of control once again.

She raced down the streets, the roar of battle dead ahead.

Nanao cursed her luck. Things were going so well. And here she was, in the Real World again. The one place she swore to herself she would avoid like the plague.

She had vowed it to herself, she would not come here until his human life was over. She would not place herself in a line of temptation to interfere.

But…duty was duty, and she was nothing if not a capable professional. It never crossed her mind she could be called into battle in the Real World, especially so soon. She hadn't given it much thought when Kiyone had mentioned to her earlier that today was Captain Ukitake's on-call day to assist with the trainees for their field mission. Nanao hadn't really given it much thought, it was pretty much business as usual. The academy took students here frequently. There was rarely a problem that the monitors couldn't handle.

But when there was, the on-call captain was to take care of it. Which, today, was her.

Should have mentally prepared herself better for the possibilities such a mission would entail.

Cursing her luck again, Nanao put all her twisted up emotions under a tight lock and key, and raced on. She absolutely wasn't searching for Captain Kyouraku's spiritual energy, anyhow. Nope. It didn't matter if he was to the East of where she was or not. Because she wasn't even trying to find him. At all.

Her head was solely on the problem ahead. The hollows were many, swarming the sky in a mass so big, they were blotting out the sun. She was just a few blocks away now. She picked up her flash steps a notch.

She may have searched him out when she arrived here, but only to reassure herself that he was a safe distance away from this mess. Obviously that would be the only reason. Because she had already resigned herself to leave him be.

The message from the hell butterfly had been quick and desperate. A large group of students had apparently departed to the Real World, monitored by two lower seated officers. And were being attacked, overwhelmed really.

Judging by the looks of the storm cloud of raging hollows overhead, Nanao knew it would be ugly when she arrived. She could hear the panicked shouts of the students, the flashing lights of several weak kido attacks. She knew it wasn't enough even before she saw the battlefield better.

She rounded a corner and came face to face with a gruesome scene. They were in a park of sorts, several pieces of twisted iron lay strewn about, what had once been a children's playground. Small fires had broken out around the area, smoke clouding up the surroundings. There were sirens in the distance.

There were a few students dead, the bodies brutally torn apart. Several were injured. The air was heavy with the smell of smoke and the iron tang of blood.

The trainees that weren't injured were either helping the injured, fighting with their weak attacks, and some were just cowering. She didn't know what year these students were, but they didn't seem ready for anything like this. At all.

It was a slaughter, not a fight.

Only one seated officer remained standing, still fighting off the masses all around the group. She dashed after him to help.

"Get into groups, and get the injured to the gates!" She shouted at the students as she ran. The dead would be left until the area was secured, the injured were top priority right now.

Nanao's whole body slide easily into the defense, both hands blazing hot and deadly, as she launched into the battle.

It blurred, her mind shutting down all thought except the fight, her body taking over. She blasted at the swarm with several high-level attacks, thinning out their numbers tremendously, but had to get more up-close with the ones on the ground.

As she fought her way through the shrieking, masked opponents, she distantly heard the students scrambling away. Hopefully making their way back to the gates.

The other officer, a young man she didn't know, joined her at her side, and they pushed on together.

"Lieutenant! I'm glad to see you!" He shouted over his shoulder, sounding winded and out of breath. Nanao looked him over quickly, before turning her attention back to the hollows. The man was limping, but holding up well. He was good with his zanpakto, it seemed. But she could tell he was tiring.

With any luck, he wouldn't need to strain too much before the threat was minimized.

The fight seemed to last for several long minutes, or hours, she wasn't quite sure.

At some points time was in slow motion, freeze framing on a difficult strategy. Every movement fluid and precise.

At other times, she was breezing through the mass, blasting them in rapid fire sessions. Instinct took over in those moments, allowing no thought process.

The other seated officer had fallen back, having received another wound at some point. He was calling in for more back-up. And she was between him an the thinning pack of hollows, now.

Another three rounds of rapid fire took out a large chunk in the numbers, but more were arriving every second to replace them. The crowd and spiritual energy was drawing the attention of the others. She glared uneasily at the re-forming swarm around her. Sweat beaded her forehead, and her attacks were weaker with every one she delivered. How long had she been fighting now? She had no sense of time span whatsoever.

She blasted another hole through the swarm, only to have it fill instantly. This wasn't looking so good. The hollows were arriving as quick as she was destroying them. Her kido was almost exhausted. Should she draw her zanpakto, then? She avoided it at all costs, it put her at a disadvantage.

But at this rate…?

"Lieutenant…" She heard the man's voice tremble slightly. He was realizing the same problem now, it seemed. He leaned heavily against her right shoulder, wheezing and holding a hand to a wound at his side.

"I know." She said, trying to reassure him. Nanao shoved a lock of hair out of her eyes and glared at the towering enemies surrounding them still. They kept appearing as quickly as she destroyed them. A good bit of the students had escaped, but there was still a handful cowering behind them.

"Your finished, remove yourself from the field. I'll cover you." She said, moving from the other officer's side slowly so he could regain his footing. She moved to stand in front of the man so he could retreat. "Initiate a barrier around yourself and those students."

"But, Lieutenant Ise-"

"-You can't fight anymore. Take cover with the others. That's a direct order." She shot back into the air, and voiced out her next spell to give it the reinforcement she was unable to give it in silence.

Another clearing in the hallows from the blast, then instant filling from more. Damn.

Nanao felt the tingle of awareness, only moments before Renji appeared in full bankai. He spared her a quick, assessing glance.

"I came as soon as I heard. Are you hurt?" He asked, breathless. She wondered how fast he had been going to reach them. His eyes scanned her quickly, before turning to the swarm around them.

"No, but they need help." Nanao nodded back down to the group below, covered in the orange glow of a barrier now.

"More are on their way." He said, and she caught the glint of excitement in his eyes. A man who enjoyed the battle a little too much.

He turned to her then and gave her a long, silent look, before springing into the fight. Launching into full attack mode, she watched as he tore across the mass, leaving serious dents in their numbers. The sounds of steel on bone were deafening.

The shock lasted only seconds, before she smirked and launched up after him. Idiot kid, rushing off, sword blazing, without a thought. He was bound to leave himself exposed at some point.

Nanao felt a second wind coming on, and she certainly couldn't have him win the day in such a rough, brutal manner. He needed the finesse to counterbalance his brute strength. And someone to cover his ass.

He looked over his shoulder at her when she appeared behind him. A brief moment passed between them when their eyes met.

He was skeptical, she knew. He was assessing if she had the energy left, if they could find a rhythm and fight alongside one another. Would she hinder or help him? They were barely even speaking right now, after all. Too much bad blood had been forged between them lately. It was her fault, and this was the price she would pay.

I have your back, captain was the wordless message she sent him, turning her head away and breaking contact.

He snorted, wordlessly replying As if I need it.

She reached deep down, willing herself to push harder. She wouldn't let him go unprotected from behind, no matter how bad their relationship was right now.

The hallows surrounded them from all sides, seemingly attacking all at the same time together. They were descending on her and her captain quickly, so close now.

Nanao reached and reached, searching for the spark inside she needed in her weakened state to fight longer.

She found it, bright and strong and gripped it tight. She tore it from deep within herself, demanding it in her time of need. Her body jerked with newfound power, lighting up her hands once again bright as the sun.

She smiled proudly at herself, before belting out more high level attacks that she thought she could do after all she had used.

She heard Renji snort again behind her, and the whipping rattle of bone on bone as Zabimaru lashed out angrily. The shrieks of hollows roaring so loud her ears rang. Her insides were vibrating with the booming noises.

Back to back, they fought.

The swarm surrounding them and fell in from all angles, attacking from every corner.

But the hollows fell away, their numbers declined so fast with the combined attacks, it was exhilarating. She hadn't been in a bare knuckled fight like this in so long, she forgot how strong it could make you feel.

Nanao could have smiled in the mists of the chaos, as the soldier in her woke up after so long. She was alive with her own energy, confident in her abilities, and certain of the captain at her back.

Zabimaru nasty sharpness tearing through the numbers on one end, her red hot kido scorching the skies on the other.

It was as if their combined efforts fine-tuned themselves to one another automatically. Attacks were anticipated, weaknesses were covered.

It was smooth as silk and the group on the ground looked on in awe.

Time disappeared again as they lost themselves to the battle.

The sky was clearing away quickly now, the swarm having dissipated from their combined attacks.

The sky was brighter now, as the hollow's number fell.

More troops poured onto the scene below then, Nanao recognized several members of the 8th and 13th as they set to cleaning up the few remaining hollows quickly.

The fight was over now. They still hovered in the sky above, in case any more hollows were to show up before they were cleared out of the area.

She could hear Renji's heavy breathing behind her returning to normal. She watched as the injured group below was addressed and transported. They put out a few fires and collected the dead. She watched the troops sheathed their weapons and reassemble to head back. Several waved up at her and her captain before heading out.

Nanao felt a tremble go through her muscles as her adrenaline wore down. She leaned back slightly, exhausted. Her back landed against Renji's, and she stiffened. She hadn't realized he stood so close to her still. He made no move to step away from her, or even acknowledge the contact in anyway really. After a moment, she let out a breath she had been holding and relaxed a little. He was warm and solid at her back, and her body was thankful for the extra support. His long ponytail brushed her shoulder and tickled against her neck, but she didn't have the energy to push it off.

"Thank you." She said quietly. Another tremble moved through her tired muscles and she glanced around the skyline. There seemed to be no new arrivals in sight, and all the troops were gone now. Human fire trucks had arrived, assessing the mysterious damage done to the park. The area was secured now, it was safe to leave.

"Your welcome." He replied after a long moment, letting out a sigh. Wordlessly, they moved away from one another, and Nanao swayed slightly before catching her balance without his support.

She caught his eye then, he was watching her closely to make sure she was alright.

"You ok?"

"I'm just exhausted." She mumbled, feeling silly. Of course he already knew that, she'd been belting out kido for the better part of an hour now. But he simply nodded at her explanation and turned away from her again. They silently descended to the ground.

Once her feet touched, she felt something wet and looked at her hands in surprise. She hadn't even noticed the few small cuts across her hands, couldn't even remember receiving them, even. They were minor, and she lowered her arms back to her side, unconcerned.

"I'm heading back. I left a training group to come here." Renji said, as he started walking away from her. Nanao watched him move away and frowned.

"Sir."

"Yeah?" He asked, stopping and glancing over his shoulder at her.

"Thank you. I mean it."

"We already covered that, Ise." He snorted, and turned away again. He stepped into shunpo and was gone. Apparently not caring if she followed him or not.

Nanao sighed heavily, feeling the distance between them taking its toll. She decided when she returned to Soul Society, she would ask him if they could sit down and have a talk. Things were just a mess with them, and they needed to sort it out. It was, of course, her fault. But she was realizing now what a jerk she had been.

She sat down on a metal bench and leaned back, needing the break. Her whole body felt drained, and she flopped back on the uncomfortable bench to stretch out. Throwing an arm over her eyes to shield the sun, Nanao could have laughed out loud if she wasn't so tired. Who would believe Ise Nanao would lay on a park bench in the middle of the day to take a break? She could hardly care about propriety right now. Her limbs felt like rubber, hopefully a little break would regain some strength.

She sat for a long time, listening as the human officials cleaned up the mess the park had been turned into. Her mind raced with guilt over the students who were lost today. She had came as quickly as she could, but had she done enough? She replayed every moment of the battle. From her arrival to the end.

Somewhere along the lines of her thoughts, she drifted off to an uncomfortable slumber.

Wrenko Tariku whistled a tune to himself, ignoring the odd looks he received from the people passing on the sidewalk. He was in a good mood, and it couldn't be helped. It was a beautiful, sunny day. It was warm and he was done with work early. What's not to be happy about? Fridays were his short days at the college. He only had two early morning classes scheduled on Fridays this semester, which let him out by 2 o'clock.

He was considering what to do with the rest of his day, when something strange grabbed at his attention as he neared the 22nd street park. It was a familiar tingle across his nerve endings, causing him to falter in his step. He stopped a moment, focusing on the sensation. What was it?

It was like the air was charged. Only, the energy seemed to have a specific fingerprint to it.

Standing at the gate, Tariku scanned the surroundings, noticing the fire trucks and a few police cars lined down the street on the opposite side of the park. The park itself was empty of pedestrians, probably from whatever accident had happened.

The sensation was strong now, he felt drawn to it. Searching his mind for what it was, he came to a shocking conclusion.

It felt like thunderstorms in the spring. And he knew it was Nanao, somehow.

Not understanding how he decided that, he walked through the gates then. He took a moment to look around the demolished park and his heart picked up a notch, wondering if she had been hurt in some way.

Silently, he questioned his sanity. He had no absolute proof she was here. He was going on instinct. And his instinct told him the sensation in the atmosphere was Nanao. It just…felt like her, for lack of a better word.

He allowed his feet to follow the charge, it got stronger, or heavier he wasn't sure which, as he went.

He saw a dark figure on the bench over in a tree-lined corner and his breath caught. His eyes had gone fuzzy, and he blinked rapidly trying to clear his vision. It didn't help, and he rubbed at them with his hands.

Still fuzzy.

But, he knew it was Nanao laying there, and he picked up his pace to reach her. What if she had been hurt? That thought laced his mind with the edge of panic and he hurried over, his eyes slowly coming into focus. He was drawn to her like a magnet, unable to resist the pull even if he had wanted to. Which, he didn't. He had been hoping to meet with her again. Although, finding her passed out on a bench was hardly the scenario he had in mind.

He slowed down when he saw the steady rise and fall of her chest. She was breathing. An arm draped over her eyes and a knee bent up, she looked as though she were asleep. He sighed in relief.

He stood over her just watching her for quite a while, before he decided he was being weird. The girl would surely think he was a little off if she woke up to a basic stranger staring at her like he was.

He couldn't leave her here, who knows what could happen to such a delicate little thing like her. He would wake her up, he decided, and try to talk her into having lunch with him.

"A beautiful woman sleeping at midday." He said loudly in a warm, amused voice, in greeting.

Nanao could only groan in response. Why was captain Kyouraku waking her up? His reatsiu was pure comfort though, and she easily sunk back into subconscious.

"Go away, sir." She said, grouchy from being woken up, but her voice lacked conviction. She threw her other arm over her eyes as well to block out more light, and began drifting off again. Her body still felt drained and weak, but her captain was close now. It was safe to rest.

"There you go, calling me sir again." He sighed.

"Hm." She agreed, trying to block him out to fall back to sleep. His eyes landed on the arms shielding her face from him. Her sleeves had fallen back to reveal her abused skin.

"Your bleeding." His voice was alarmed then, and she felt him kneel down beside her. He took her hand in his to inspect it. She could feel the light, warm touch of his fingers against her skin. He pushed the sleeve up to see her forearms.

"It's nothing, had an issue earlier with some hollows…" She mumbled.

"Hollows?" He echoed, confused. He figured she was half dreaming. "We have to quit meeting like this. That's twice now you have been hurt when we come in contact with each other. Do you think it's a sign?"

She bit back her irritation at him. Didn't he have anything better to do than bother her?

"Yes. It means you should stay away from me…" She yawned, and pulled her arm out of his grasp.

She felt the nagging pull of her brain trying to remember something, but ignored it all together. Her drowsy mind was caught in the past again.

"That can't be right." He laughed, pulling her hand back to him. Nanao didn't fight him this time, she knew how ridiculously overprotective he was. It was damn near impossible to get away from him in mother-hen mode.

He turned her small hand, assessing the damage. The blood had dried. He wondered how long she had been laying here. Frowning, he looked her over head to toe. She looked a little disheveled in her strange robes. A couple of burn marks marring her clothing, hair falling out of her clip. But her hands and forearms seemed to be the only part of her that was wounded. Mild scratches and cuts, but still they bothered him to see them on her pale skin.

"What exactly are you wearing, anyhow?" He wondered curiously. The black uniform was something belonging in a martial arts movie. She didn't comment, and he wondered if she was even listening to him at this point. Maybe she had fallen back to sleep.

He grinned to himself, and settled in the grass in front of her, leaning his back against the seat of the bench. He looked over the destroyed park. There were a few fire trucks parked on the curb, but no active work being done. Yellow tape hand been strung around the scene.

"Do you know what happened here, Nanao-chan?" He asked quietly, unable to leave alone the idea her injuries were tied into this mess.

That name, said in a different tone than the previous captain had used, had Nanao start.

For the second time, Nanao fully awoke to the sinking feeling that something wasn't right with her captain. Her eyes snapped open, as realization hit her full force.

Oh god, she thought, moving her arms from her face.

Her fear was confirmed when she was met with the back of the man's head who sat on the ground in front of the bench. She stared at his dark locks for a moment, not knowing what to do. She felt just as much at a loss as she had when she woke up at the hospital with him next to her.

He felt her shift and looked over at her. His eyes were so impossibly dark, she felt drowned by them.

"Hello." He offered, with a warm smile.

"Hi." She breathed, wondering how it was possible to feel so many conflicting emotions at once. Relief at seeing him, fear for what it would do to her again, content to just be in his presence no matter how wrong it was, and even the guilt that she had managed to not avoid him like she told herself she would. "What…what are you doing here?"

"I was walking home. I take this route everyday. I happened to see you." He replied, leaving out the part where his heart skipped a beat thinking something had happened to her.

Nanao sat up slowly, never taking her eyes off him. She put her feet on the ground next to him and leaned back, still feeling the exhaustion from the fight earlier. She wondered how long she had been asleep.

He went back to gazing across the park grounds. Something about this girl had him feel…content. He would be happy to sit here all day with her.

Nanao relaxed a little, eyeing him since his back was turned. It was a comfortable silence, not awkward and she wondered why that was. It wasn't a man she really knew, sitting here with her, after all.

"What happened to you?" He asked quietly after the silence stretched on. He gestured to her hands, although the burn marks were curious too.

"I fell." She lied easily, looking down to meet his eyes. She saw the slight tightening of his lips, but if he caught on to the fib, he let it slide.

He traced her features slowly, taking it all in again. She was even lovelier than he remembered. Pale skin, black hair, and those sharp violet eyes. She had been on his mind constantly since he had met her the first time. He knew he was in over his head with this girl from the start.

Nanao looked at her lap to escape his intense staring. She fiddled with her sleeves, straightening out her uniform-

Uniform?

Her breath caught in her throat, and her eyes widened. She wasn't in a gigai, she was in her normal spirit form.

She jerked to her feet and took a few steps back from where he sat. "You…can see me?"

"Obviously…" He said slowly, quirking a brow at her odd behavior. "Did you hit your head again?"

She stared at him, unnerved. What did it mean that he was seeing her like this? Had she disrupted his life in some way? Being a figure from his soul's memories, her reatsiu, her mere presence? Did she stir something back alive within him? He had called her Nanao-chan the first time, now he was seeing her without a faux body? Was it her fault?

She scanned him, and noticed his meager reatsiu had grown since her last trip to the Real World. In fact, it was flickering and changing even now. He would attract hollows soon, if it grew much more. And at this rate, she worried that wouldn't be long.

She needed to go.

He sat in the grass, watching her. His face was as heartbreakingly handsome as ever, his eyes impossibly warm. He was relaxed, with the sun lighting his features. He was, at his core, the man she had loved with everything she had. Her best friend and mentor. Her world hasn't been right since he left.

She found herself not really caring about all the things she promised not to do.

She found herself forgetting all the ramifications her being around him in this form could cause.

She found herself forgetting her own name when he smiled at her.

"Oh god..." She said, because nothing else seemed to fit.

And…poor Nanao. She has a lot on her plate, eh?