The Broken Souls of the Seireitei

A/N:Took a hiatus...a lot of shit going on. Kelsey is a minor OC and some more plot is revealed, some captains have a bitch fight, and drama is about to go down...






Sweat dripped laboriously from Karin’s brow. She was dressed in black linen pants and her upper body cast, and nothing else. Soi Fon was glaring at her from a window ledge, watching with disdain as the young girl practiced Kendo. She was no better than Zaraki initially was with it, and several times she had hit Karin with a bamboo reed on the shoulders when she did the wrong move. Soi Fon knew she was pushing the girl, but that was her job. If the Kurosaki wanted to be in the 2nd division and call herself Onmitsukido, then this is what it took. She couldn’t ride on the coattails of her father or brother. Not even that stuck up brat Hitsugaya could help her. Soi Fon licked her lips upon thinking of Toshiro. She needed to make Karin strong…strong enough to beat him if necessary.

“No! Again! It’s ‘forward’, ‘sweep’, ‘down’!!! Are you stupid on purpose, or is this inherited genetics?” Soi Fon jumped from the sill and got right in Karin’s face, nearly smirking at the girl’s quivering chin.

“No, Soi Fon taicho. I will try again.” Her voice was meek, and she was nearly broken.

“Don’t try, Kurosaki. Do. What if Kurosaki fukutaicho had only tried to save Rukia? She’d be dead, and he probably would be too.” She sneered at Karin’s crestfallen look. “Again, Kurosaki.”

Karin took a deep breath and started with the forward sweep before she gasp and fell down, holding her side. Soi Fon could tell that her pain was great; she saw the girl’s arm shaking as she tried to lift herself. Taking a deep breath and telling her it was for her own good, Soi Fon walked over and kicked her on her back, pressing her foot down on Karin’s chest. The girl wheezed from the pressure, her eyes red.

“Please…”

“Don’t be stupid! You never beg your enemy for anything!” Soi Fon’s foot pressed harder, and Karin thought she was going to faint.

“You aren’t my enemy…” Karin’s eyes rolled back and she went limp. Soi Fon cautiously removed her foot and knelt down. “Kurosaki? Kurosaki? Karin?” She looked at the pale, sweaty girl and realized she had indeed pushed her too far. She had a bit of spirit water to give to Karin to heal her, but was holding out to make sure the girl deserved it. Her eyes briefly strayed from Karin to the bottle, which was across the room. Setting her eyes on the bottle, she made a move to get up and reach for it, but was stopped. She couldn’t move. Her vision felt hazy and her tongue felt thick. Swinging her eyes back to Karin, she was surprised to see the girl sitting up, eyes open, her hand around Soi Fon’s throat. A dark red aura framed her, and her eyes were totally black.

Karin unconsciously squeezed Soi Fon’s neck tighter, making the captain gag. Soi Fon managed to twist herself at an angle to where Karin’s grip was loosened and scrambled away from her, panting. Karin remained in the sitting up position, her hand still in the position of choking, but the hand was closing in to a fist. Once the fist was completed, Karin let out a groan and fell backwards hard on the tatami mat, her red aura disappearing. Soi Fon held her neck warily as she approached Karin, not knowing what possessed the girl or if it would happen again. She looked down at the wan face, seeing a small trickle of blood run from her nose. She walked back to get the spirit water and after propping Karin’s head up on her knee, dribbled some of the water into her mouth. She stroked Karin’s neck to coax her into swallowing and then waited.

Karin was still for a moment but then gasp deeply and sat up quickly, flailing her arms. “NOOO!! NOOO LET ME OUT!!!” She screamed, trying to fight her way out of Soi Fon’s grip.

“Easy, easy,” Soi Fon attempted to coach, but her throat was raw and scratchy from being choked. Karin panted, wide eyed and scared. “I was in black…all in black and it was all over me…get it off me!!” She begged, wiping at her arms. Soi Fon frowned and shook Karin’s shoulders.

“Stop this. Your reiatsu took over and blocked your mind temporarily. You choked me as a defense mechanism.” She pointed at her reddened neck, and Karin grew humble.

“I apologize for my outburst, Soi Fon taicho.” Karin tried to stand, but faltered, and Soi Fon quickly caught her and looped an arm around the girl.

“I’m so embarrassed,” Karin whispered, red with shame.

Soi Fon gave her a bored look and rolled her eyes. “At least you aren’t drunk,” She said shortly with a cackle, making Karin stare at her. Once they were righted, Soi Fon half carried, half dragged her back to her room at the 4th.
*********************

Nemu sat on her bed, staring blankly at the crisp white covers. Now that her coma had broken, she had a few more visitors. Akon and Rin came to basically grovel at her feet, since the was technically the new captain of the 12th division by default. No one else wanted the position, so Akon and Rin were both vying for 2nd seats. Nemu had dismissed them with a new authoritative air, one that even surprised her. Rukia and Nanao had stopped by that morning to visit, and even Ichigo had peeked his head in the door to speak.

“Why are you looking at the sheet that way?”

Nemu raised her head to see Hanataro standing in the doorway with a tray in hand. Fresh orange slices and rice with chicken were neatly placed on the tray, and he approached the bed, gently setting the tray down on the table beside the bed.

Nemu shrugged. “I don’t know.” Her voice was defeated, and Hanataro gave her a sympathetic look.

“Will you eat if I feed this to you?”

“I’m not a baby.” Nemu’s words were spiteful.

Hanataro smirked. “No…you’d need to be over in Ward 7 if you were a baby. I can have you moved if you’d like.” His eyes sparkled and Nemu managed a smile and a nod.

Hanataro nodded back and pulled up a chair, placing a napkin on Nemu’s chest. He expertly picked up a sliver of tangerine and slipped it between Nemu’s lips, smiling when she chewed and swallowed. Next, he broke a piece of chicken in half and placed it in her mouth, allowing her time to chew and swallow before offering more food.

“Is my father really dead, Hanataro?” The question made his hand stop in mid air, the orange hanging from the chopsticks dripping onto the bed.

He sighed and placed the orange back in the bowl, rubbing at the sheet profusely with another napkin. Nemu took his silence as confirmation and turned away from him.

“Uryuu was the first to tell me. Then everyone else started saying it, but it’s strange. I didn’t believe it until just now. I feel like everyone would lie to me, every one but you.”

Hanataro patted her hand. “Are you alright?”

Nemu shrugged. “I don’t know how to feel. It’s like a weight has been lifted from me, but I don’t know what to do with it.”

Hanataro smiled and offered the orange slice again, nodding when she took it. “I have a weight on my chest also.”

Nemu looked sympathetic. “You and Rukia still aren’t together? Well, at least I haven’t been out that long. I would have really missed something then!!” She chuckled, holding her still mending ribs. Hanataro frowned and grabbed the container of green jell-o and held it out of reach.

“What was that?”

Nemu eyed the emerald green gelatin and sighed. “Nothing,” She muttered, defeat facing her again. But at least this defeat would be lime flavored. She sat back and allowed Hanataro to feed her, chewing and thinking to herself.
********************

Soi-Fon groaned as she heaved Karin onto her bed. The girl had not complained about her sides, although her captain noticed several grimaces on their way back to the 4th. Of course her sister was waiting for her when they got back, and gave Soi-Fon a look that would have made the devil apologize.

Yuzu glared at the pixie captain as soon as she hit the door, sweeping over to assist Karin in the bed. She frowned at her sister and wet a cool cloth to rinse her back, face, and arms off. Soi-Fon hung back, watching Yuzu intently.

“Did you lose something?” The girl’s sharp question knocked Soi-Fon off kilter. “Excuse me?”

Yuzu stood up straight and looked at Soi-Fon. “I said did you lose something? As in why are you still here?!!”

Soi-Fon nearly snatched the impudent child. “How dare you! First of all, I am a captain. Second of all, your sister asked me to train her. Third of all, if you weren’t weaklings that had been overindulged by your father, then perhaps you could withstand training!!”

Yuzu reddened, but would not be deterred. “You said training, but you tried to kill her!”

Soi-Fon laughed cruelly. “If I wanted Kurosaki-chan dead, she would be.”

Yuzu’s eyes filled with tears. “Why are you such a bitch?” She whispered, making both Karin and Soi-Fon’s eyes widen. The captain advanced toward her, fire in her eyes.

“Soi-Fon! Enough.”

All three women looked at the door to see Isshin, who was rubbing his beard. “That’s enough bullying, Soi-Fon. I’d tell you to go pick on someone your own size, but my children are your size.”

Soi-Fon turned bright red and narrowed her eyes at Yuzu, who gave her a smirk. “Tomorrow. Be prepared to hurt.” Her words were cast at Karin, but Yuzu was the target of her venom. Karin mumbled her apologies and that she understood and Soi-Fon walked out of the room, practically hissing at Isshin.

“And so our busy bee flies away,” He comically lamented as he watched her leave.

Yuzu rounded the bed and approached her father. “Just who the hell does she think she-”

SLAP!

“DADDY!!!” Both girls screamed, Yuzu grabbing her cheek and sobbing.

Isshin rolled his eyes. “Oh child, hush. That was merely a tap. Soi-Fon would have done worse, and by all rights I should have let her. You can’t get slick like that with a captain again.”

Yuzu held her mouth and sniffed. “Why are you taking her side?”

Isshin shook his head. “I should have explained the rules here better to you. Neither you or your sister have any rank. Ichigo is a vice-captain and I am a full captain. If someone saw you getting into a fight with your brother, they could have you executed, not because fighting isn’t allowed, but because of the difference in power and rank. Soi-Fon means well to Karin, she sees potential in her. And she’s absolutely right. I have indeed coddled you…” He trailed off and sighed. He moved to hug Yuzu, who at first tried to push him away, but then gave up and clung to him for dear life.

“I’m sorry I hit you, but I need you to understand. There is a hierarchy here, and the climate is very unstable. Just do as you are told, don’t make too many friends, and always keep an ear to the ground and both eyes open.” He knelt by Karin’s bed and kissed her wrist, placing it over his heart.

“Promise me that you will do as Soi-Fon says. If she hurts you in some barbaric way, she knows that she’ll be found at the bottom of the Sokyoku. We have already discussed it.” His brown eyes briefly flashed, and Karin nodded, gulping. She had seen that look in Ichigo’s eyes before, but never her father’s. She gulped again.

“Ok, Daddy.” He smiled and kissed her cheek, combing some of her hair from her face. “I’ll ask Hitsugaya taicho to stop in and visit you later.” He smiled at them and left the room, closing the door.

“Kari, what have we gotten ourselves in to?” Yuzu asked, grabbing a shiny pair of scissors. Karin was silent as she felt the cool metal between her skin and the cast, cutting away. She sighed in relief when her chest and stomach were bare, noticing something strange at her back. Rolling over a bit, she lifted the water bottle that Soi-Fon had carried with them back to the room. Karin silently wondered if that had been a fluke or on purpose, but didn’t dwell on it. She drank the water and watched as her sister cleaned her neck, under her breasts, and her stomach, even washing her belly button. She was still silent even when Yuzu wrapped her stomach and chest in gauze, fastening it with red clips. Yuzu sighed at Karin’s silence and gathered up her supplies to leave when her sister caught her by the arm.

“Yu…why does Dad have to ask Toshiro to come see me? Shouldn’t he want to?”

Yuzu averted her eyes and opted to just crawl in the bed beside her sister and hold her. She didn’t have the heart to tell her that she had seen him with Momo in close proximity the previous night. She just sighed and hoped that what she saw was somehow not the true situation. If it was, then Karin would need a much stronger backbone to get through it.
*************************

Nemu struggled to sit up in the bed. Akon had made himself a total nuisance, bringing her stacks and stacks of papers to sign. Nemu wanted to push them all off the bed, just to see them fly. She decided against it, as she didn’t want to be given a psychiatric evaluation. She grabbed a stack blue sheets that were clipped together, her throat constricting as she read the title.

CERTIFICATE OF DEATH: KUROTSUCHI, MAYURI

She nearly dropped the stack as she stared at the bolded letters. She must have read the title a hundred times before she lifted the page to read the brief autopsy.

‘Simple stab wound through the thoracic cavity causing traumatic aortic rupturing, the puncture wound being distal to the left subclavian artery. Patient died before being transported to the 4th medical wing.

Unohana Retsu
4th Division Captain
2013AD/05/29’

Nemu put down the report and sighed.

“So he bled to death. How ironic.” She thumbed through the rest of the report, which was just basic findings of his body, also with an in depth report on his augmentations, something Nemu found strange for Unohana to find out just through an autopsy. She lay the report down and sighed, still not knowing what to make of the situation. She heard laughter and looked toward her window, inching over so she could see. There was an alley adjacent to the window, and bracing herself, she stood and flopped over in the chair beside the window, hoisting herself up. She gasped at the sight that she saw.

Momo had her arms wrapped around Toshiro’s neck, and was kissing him and laughing. Nemu looked at the couple, confused. Karin had talked with her several times about her and Toshiro’s relationship, although Nemu was in and out and couldn’t remember much. She remembered enough though to know that Momo had no business being all hugged up on him like that. She turned to call for Karin, but then paused. She had indeed been out for awhile. Maybe they had broken up. Nemu slumped in the chair and sighed, scratching her forehead. Perhaps if they had broken up, she should stay silent about what she saw. No need to rub salt in the wound. She ambled over to her bed, pushing the report in the floor and sighed, trying to get comfortable.

“Hello, Kurotsuchi-taicho.” The voice startled her, and she swallowed, staring at her visitor.

“H-Hello Hitsugaya-taicho. Um…why are you here?” Nemu was smart enough to know Toshiro hadn't made a special trip just to see her.

Toshiro looked slightly annoyed. “Your room is across from my girlfriend’s. It would be rude for me to visit her and not you, don’t you think?”

‘No, it’s rude to kiss other women when you have a girlfriend‘ was what Nemu was really thinking, but instead of verbalizing her feelings she remained silent and just stared at him. Toshiro stared back for a few moments and then sighed irritably before heading across the hall.

Nemu sniffed and sighed, rolling over on her side. Her mind wandered to her own boyfriend, and a fat tear slid down across her nose. She hoped that wherever Uryuu was, and whatever he was doing, that he still wanted to be with her. If not, then she didn’t even want to think about what her next move would have to be.
******************

“Fancy meeting you here.”

Ukitake rolled his eyes. Isshin was still as annoying as ever. “And why would that be? You did ask me to meet you, did you not?”

Isshin leaned forward, chocolate eyes dancing mischievously. “I didn’t think you’d come. And also because you don’t like to share. All those brothers and sisters you have, and you never learned how to share.”

Ukitake leaned forward, undaunted. “Oh, I learned to share. Just not my husband.” His words were crisp and made Isshin sit back and chuckle.

“Husband? Really? Was Shun-san your husband when you were bent over panting for Sousuke? Or was it the other way around, since I can’t imagine you really panting, what with your illness and all. Might make you…” Isshin pretended to cough weakly.

Ukitake colored a deep scarlet, almost looking like someone had thrown red paint on his face. He rounded Isshin’s desk and grabbed his captain’s jacket roughly. “Listen to me, you cheap little whore! You may have slept with Shunsui only once, but that doesn’t make you any less of a slut! You probably were the one that taught the whores in the Rukongai how to suck cock!”

Isshin laughed heartily. “WOW!! Such colorful language from the ‘nice family man’. If I told you that you were making me hard, what would you do?” Isshin whispered, his eyes dancing again.

Ukitake snorted. “I’d probably vomit.”

Isshin laughed again, more sensually than before. Ukitake let go of the jacket and shoved him backwards, fighting to keep from looking at him. He was tall, strong, and rugged, just like Shunsui. Not as hairy though. He smiled genuinely at Isshin. Isshin smiled back.

“So have you changed your mind? Would I make you vomit, or would I make you cum?” His words had a certain fire behind them, and if he hadn’t still resented the man, Ukitake would have quite possibly indeed been face down ass up for him.

“What about your Quincy boyfriend? Or your dead wife?” Isshin’s smile melted faster than butter on popcorn. Ukitake looked smug. “Thought so.” He stood to walk away, when his wrist was grabbed. Before he could react, he was slammed down on the desk, squirming to free himself. He was pinned face down, flailing impossibly against the man behind him.

“Make no mistake, Jyuushiro. I’m a lot stronger than I was 20 years ago. And another mistake you shouldn’t make concerns your beloved husband. I’m not a pathetic weakling like you. I can give him everything he wants and more.”

“You’re lying!” The muffled words beneath him made him chuckle.

“No. I’ve never lied to you. The same way you burn for Sousuke still is the way Shunsui burns for me. Ask him tonight when you are in his arms, crying and begging him to tell you that you are the only one.” He released Jyuushiro and the stunned man scrambled to get away, wiping a single tear from his eyes. His chest heaved and rattled, but he kept the cough inside.

“Hate doesn’t even describe the way I feel about you,” Ukitake said venomously, his reiatsu rising.

Isshin’s chest heaved for a moment and he closed his eyes for a second, smiling as a trickle of blood ran from his nose. He licked the trickle away when it reached his lips, staining his whole mouth with blood.

“That won’t change the fact that I know what it’s like for both of your lovers to have been inside of me.”

“Ukitake taicho, NO!!!” Kira quickly ran into the office to block the blow that was about to fall on his captain. He looked at both of the men, one with a bloody nose and one looking like he was in cardiac arrest. Ukitake easily wrenched himself from Kira and straightened his captain’s jacket.

“If I were you, I’d leave me alone,” Ukitake said calmly, darkly.

Isshin wiped more blood from his nose. “If I were you, I’d go to Hell!!!” He advanced again, this time Kira pushed him back. The blonde looked a bit panicked, as he had felt a huge surge of reiatsu, strong enough to give him a splitting headache. He was aware that Ukitake was in their division walls, but he didn’t know that Isshin and Ukitake were about to engage in mortal combat.

“Please, Kurosaki taicho, stop this!” The blonde begged, sounding strangely impassive. He didn’t care about the men fighting, he just wanted them to stop for the simple fact that they weren’t supposed to be fighting. Isshin narrowed his eyes and walked over to the door, opening it and gesturing for Ukitake to leave.

Ukitake tossed his snow white hair haughtily behind him as he glided out of the room, happy to get such a rise out of his former friend. Isshin slammed the door so quickly and so hard behind him that Ukitake’s hair blew up behind him and landed on his chest. He turned slightly to look at the door, feeling contrite.

“Sorry,” The captain whispered before stepping away.
***************************

Isshin flopped back into his chair, picking up his Ben Wa balls and rotating them rapidly in his left palm. Kira eyed him and quietly prepared a Highball for him, something he learned to do from Matsumoto. She had joked with him several times that if he ever had an assignment in the living world that his perfect cover would have been a bartender.

Isshin watched the effervescent bubbles in the tall glass and sighed before downing the whole drink in two painful, burning gulps. “Thanks, Kira fukutaicho.” He casually threw the glass against the wall, making his vice captain jump as the glass shattered. Kira looked at the shards and moved toward them, bending to clean them up.

“Stop.”

Kira looked up, surprised. “Taicho?”

Isshin looked agitated. “Just stop. You flit and scurry around like some sort of scared mouse or something all the damn time. Can’t I even beat up a fellow officer or wreck my office without you trying to clean it up? Was Gin really so helpless that he needed you to do everything for him?”

Kira hung his head, dipping it lower at the last jab Isshin gave him. Gin wasn’t helpless or incapable; he just liked for people-him, to do things for him. He could feel the strain within his captain, and knew whatever he and Ukitake were fighting about had hit his heart hard. He knew that he was yet again the target of displacement and that he would have to face the brunt of anger and hurt of a situation he had nothing to do with. He hoped that the beating or humiliation he would suffer wouldn’t be enough to break him. He had only been broken by one man, and that submission was more than willing.

Isshin looked at the thin blonde kneeling practically in the glass. He didn’t sense fear from Kira, more of a remorseful type feeling. He could practically see Wabiuske holding him and glaring at him as if to say “You hurt my master.” If only she knew.

“Get up. Leave the glass there.” Isshin sighed and rubbed his face angrily.

Kira looked at the shards. “What if you step on them? Then you’d be hurt because of me.” He gasped when he felt a wind behind him, and felt a crushing grip on his wrist. Turning his head, Isshin was towering over him, grasping the blonde’s thin wrist.

“Now you’re hurting because of me.” Isshin’s words were low and dangerous. He met Kira’s blue eyes for a few moments before shame made him push the man away. “Leave. Don’t come back until I summon you. LEAVE!”

Kira backed away, looking genuinely shocked. “Yes, Taicho.” He bowed deeply and left the room. Isshin watched him go, hating that Kira had to get involved. He didn’t mean to hurt his vice captain. If he was really honest, he didn’t want to hurt Ukitake either. He only did it because he knew how the man talked about him and how he had treated his friend. And although Shunsui was a grown ass man and could handle himself, he was still responsible for some of the guilt and a lot of the pain. They all had their issues, but they were adults. They should be trying to alleviate their pains, not to aggravate them.

Isshin looked out of the window, seeing the sun setting. There was one place he could go, one place where he could find solace. He sighed deeply and bowed his head, rubbing his temples in agitation.

******************

“Thank you so much, Ishida-sama. I was initially scared to come all the way to Japan to intern with you, but I was so excited when I received the opportunity in the mail.” The hospital’s newest protégé, American student Kelsey Cambrea stood awkwardly in Ishida Ryuken’s office, starry eyed and smitten.

Ryuken grunted and barely eyed the girl. She was cute, with pretty dark skin and sparkling green eyes, but was a troublemaker. She wanted to get close, and not only in a friendly way, but also in a physical way. Kelsey smiled and moved closer to Ryuken’s desk, batting her eyes. “I never would have thought that my internship would have led me to such a beautiful, serene place.”

Ryuken turned his head to file some loose papers. “Very true, Kelly-chan.”

Kelsey’s face fell. “Um, it’s ‘Kelsey’, Ishida-sama.”

He stopped filing and looked at her. “Isn’t that what I said?”

Kelsey frowned. “Um, sure.” She moved closer to the file cabinet, unnerving Ryuken.

“I was wondering, if maybe Ishida-sama would like to join me for dinner. I make a mean baked spaghetti,” Kelsey schmoozed, daring to run the pads of her fingertips over one of his forearms.

Ryuken sighed. “Listen, Casey-chan-”

“Kelsey.” This time her voice didn’t sound so sweet.

Ryuken scratched his head. “I’m married.”

Kelsey smiled and shrugged. “I’m engaged,” She offered with a grin. “I want to explore as much of Japan as I can while I’m here. And you might want to try some of my ‘apple pie’ if you catch my drift, Doctor.”

Ryuken stared at her. “I’m not sure who you think I am, but some cute little flouncy whore isn’t going to make me throw away my career. Besides, what makes you think that I want you? Because you’re American? Please,” Ryuken spat, opening his desk drawer. Reaching for his keys, he closed the drawer and looked up at the girl, who’s chin was quivering.

“I’m sorry, Doctor Ishida. We’ve spent almost every day together for the past few weeks, and I thought that you…me…”

Ryuken sighed and gave her a small smile. “You want to be a surgeon, right? Your talent lies in your hands…not in your thoughts.” He motioned towards the door.

“Good night, Kelsey-chan.”

Kelsey wiped away a stray tear and nodded silently, gathering her messenger bag and notes. She quietly left, Ryuken locking the door behind her and sighing.

“You heard all of that, didn’t you?”

Isshin smiled as he crawled through the open window. “Not only did I hear it, I also saw it. Did you refuse her because you felt me here? Or are Black American girls not your speed?”

Ryuken took off his glasses and peered at the Shinigami sitting on the window ledge. “She isn’t the one I want.” He strode across the room and gathered Isshin into a passionate kiss. Both men were almost grappling with each other, each fighting for dominance. Ryuken bit Isshin’s lip hard, making the man hiss and pull away.

“That wasn’t nice.”

“Neither was re-joining our enemies.” Ryuken glared at him angrily. “Care to know how I found out? That stupid mod soul that parades around in your son’s body told me! He actually called me to ask where you keep the orange jelly, and told me that you went back to the Seireitei to be soul reaper again. And I hate orange fucking jelly!” He yelled, throwing his keys at Isshin. He sighed deeply and sat at his desk, running his hand through his hair.

“You still don’t understand the pain you cause me. Even when I was young and could stand it. You always choose everyone else over me. I’m doing nothing but getting older, Isshin. And there you stand, looking newer and fresher than ever. Damn mortality,” Ryuken said bitterly, sneering.

Isshin carefully walked over to the Quincy and stood behind him, placing his hands on his shoulders. He began to massage him, making the man moan quietly.

“I love you, Ryuken. How ironic is it that you virtually gave up everything for me, but I gave up nothing for you. I had a choice…and I chose Masaki. And you chose Nami.”

Tears brimmed in his eyes. “My father would have kept us apart. And Nami…” He sighed deeply. “She deserved better. As did Masaki. Our wives deserved men who loved them, not each other.” Isshin’s arms slipped down Ryuken’s chest as he hugged the man from behind.

“I feel old today,” Ryuken whispered.

“You aren’t. You’re only a fraction of my age.”

“But I look twice as old as you.” The Quincy frowned and sighed again. Isshin removed his arms and spun the rotating chair around, making Ryuken look at him.

“I think you look wonderful.” He grabbed the man’s face and slathered kisses all over it, eventually making the Quincy laugh. Their kisses slowed and heated up, with Isshin’s jacket somehow ending up on the floor, his haori opened, and Ryuken’s lab coat discarded and shirt half way unbuttoned.

Isshin massaged Ryuken’s back as they continued to kiss, sucking at his bottom lip. Ryuken moaned and rolled his hips against him, their erections growing larger by the moment. Isshin reached between them and started to play with him through his khaki pants, making the doctor moan louder. Isshin unzipped the pants and freed the erection, licking and sucking on his ear erratically.

“I’ve never loved anyone as much as I love you. The past twenty years of my life have been my happiest, and it’s mainly because of you and my kids. Remember when you were around Ichigo’s age? I loved you the first time I saw you,” Isshin whispered, laving his tongue on Ryuken’s left ear.

The Quincy moaned loudly again. “I remember,” He whispered, running his hands over Isshin’s bare chest. He tweaked the Shinigami’s nipples, making Isshin moan sensually.

“From the first time I saw you, I had to have you. Three years of me chasing, waiting…having to come up with bullshit reasons to come to Karakura. You were such a little cock tease,” Isshin teased with a smile, making Ryuken chuckle.

“You were the reason why I left the Seireitei.”

Ryuken gasped and pulled Isshin into a tight embrace. He had only said that to him once before, and it was in the heat of an argument shortly after Masaki was killed. He had chalked it up to emotions running high and didn’t explore it deeper.

“I love you, Isshin. I love you so,” Ryuken gushed, emotions pouring forth. He was usually such a stoic man, so guarded and stony, his only weakness was the man in front of him that he was clinging so tightly to.

“Please, allow me to spirit you away,” Isshin whispered with a smile, gathering Ryuken as tight as possible in his arms. The reishi between them started to build and literally seconds later, they were standing in the bedroom of Isshin’s house.

They quickly stripped off the rest of their clothes, both of them marveling at the other’s frame. Isshin smiled at the few sparkling gray hairs on various parts of Ruyken’s body; and the latter was eying a few of the ‘love scars’ that he had inflicted on Isshin in the name of a good fight.

They kissed again, slowly, tasting the sweetness of each other’s mouths. Ryuken pulled Isshin towards the bed, sitting down on it and gently stroking his lover with his hands. He turned expressive blue eyes upward before opening his mouth and sheathing the throbbing phallus, making Isshin bite the same place on his mouth where he was bitten, the sensation of pain and pleasure overloading his senses. Ryuken was deliberate and slow with his mouth, loving over each vein, top, bottom, and both sides, smiling when he tasted precum. Isshin gritted his teeth at the feeling and grabbed Ryuken and spun him around, pushing him on the bed.

“You soul reapers…always so pushy,” Ryuken admonished, gasping when he felt Isshin enter him. His eyes rolled back when his ring was penetrated, a slight burning sensation filled his rear, and he wriggled slightly to alleviate the pain. Isshin nearly squealed at the movement and slapped Ryuken’s ass in retaliation.

Soon enough they fell into a constant rhythm, Ryuken’s hair falling over his face as Isshin pulsed within him, pulling and pushing, the thickness inside of him at times almost too much. All of their mutual stresses along with separate ones came together and washed over them, their reiatsu coiling and compressing, mingling together and causing them both to become hyper sensitive.

Isshin continued to pump inside of his lover, his thrusts becoming faster. He smiled in an almost sinister way at watching Ryuken clutch at the sheets, increasing his speed. The Quincy below him couldn’t help but moan and whine, his body reacting almost whorishly at his lover’s touch. He violently shuddered and came as soon as Isshin reached for his cock and gave it a few rough strokes. He continued to brush against the man’s prostrate, milking a few more drops from him before emptying himself inside of his bowels, Ryuken gasping at the heat filling him.

Isshin leaned over his lover, trying to catch his breath. His breathing eventually evened and he righted Ryuken and crawled over him to lay down underneath the covers. He held the man possessively, smelling his hair. His eyes drooped and he sighed, glad to be back in his old, comfortable bed.

“Did you mean what you said earlier?” Ryuken’s voice was small…almost vulnerable, and it made Isshin’s eyes open wide.

“What?…”

“About leaving the Seireitei for me. Did you mean it?”

Isshin smiled. “Yes.”

Ryuken swallowed. “Would you do it again?”

Silence. Ryuken waited for a few minutes and when he heard nothing, he moved to leave. Isshin grabbed his wrist, pulling him almost forcefully back into the bed.

“Yes. Just not now. I can’t. But I promised you that we’d always be together. And although I do a lot of shitty things, I never go back on my word.”

Ryuken lay back down and allowed himself to be held and coddled. He’d waited this long…what would a few more months, or even years be to him? He snuggled against Isshin, showing that he was accepting of his explanation. They held each other and nodded off to sleep, happy for the brief get away from their respective problems.



XD