Resurrection

This chapter is going to include a lot of description of different fighting styles, but I tried to keep it simple.

Slight yaoi in this chapter. Finally! Warning for dorky tickle attack.

Resurrection: Chapter 7

Ichigo’s POV

Hand combat was starting to be reasonably enjoyable. I may have been able to do most of the stuff Sentou sensei taught us before, but now she was taking me aside and teaching me a style of fighting called Capoeira that combined dancing and fighting. It also used footwork, but Handou sensei agreed that it was something that Sentou was more knowledgeable about and therefore she would teach me. Capoeira actually rarely used hand strikes, and therefore I could substitute using my sword instead of my fists.

I was a little embarrassed at first, but she promptly smacked me in the head for not concentrating. She said it would be a good lesson for me because I rely too much on force, and that Capoeira was about maneuvering around the opponent, not meeting them head on. It is also fairly acrobatic, which I am not used to, so it definitely challenged me.

The attacks primarily incorporated kicks, sweeps of the legs and head strikes. At the beginning I was uncomfortable at the loose movement of my body and fluidity of it, but I picked it up pretty fast. Although I was already familiar with flips and feints, I also had to learn the correct form of an ‘au.’ The simplistic form of au is just a normal cartwheel, but then you also include kicks mid air, and also without using hands. (I don’t think my abdomen has ever been so sore).

The feints that are traditional Capoeira remind me somewhat of boxing feints with the feet constantly moving in a way similar to the triangular footwork Handou sensei taught us. The point of the position is to be able to attack the opponent unexpectedly since the feet and arms are in constant motion. (1)

The back handsprings were also easy. I also found myself enjoying a particular move where I balance my weight on one hand, tucking the leg on the same side to my chest as I kick out with my other leg. It was rather fun pulling that one on Nnoitra as I fell to the ground and surprised him with a quick kick to the chest, making him stumble backwards. The rest of the moves I picked up pretty quick, back bends, karate chops, elbow strikes, throws, leg take downs, flash kicks, hand spins and head spins.

The one thing I really didn’t like doing was the handstand. It made me feel too open to attacks, but I could still keep my eyes on my opponent and do kicks, as well as trick them into attacking, thinking I am vulnerable.

Because Nnoitra is taller than most Shinigami, hand to hand combat is more awkward for him than useful. While he still learned everything Sentou taught in class, he also worked on Jujutsu separately with Handou sensei. I wasn’t able to watch him as often since I had to concentrate of my own work, but later he employed some moves that really threw me off. Literally. We had forgone our swords for the day and were working on hand to hand combat when I went in for a punch and he grabbed my arm and rolled me with his body so I was tossed onto my back. Then he twisted my arm to the side and trapped my body underneath his so I was unable to move.

“Ugh! Leggo Nnoitra!” I yelped and tried to squirm but it only brought more pain.

“Not until you say I’m the best warrior.” Nnoitra said smugly, his hair hanging over his face slightly as he bent over me.

“I’m the best warrior.” I mumbled.

“Idiot.” Nnoitra gave a jerk to my arm. “Say ‘you’re the best warrior.’”

“I’m the best warrior.” I managed a laugh before I gasped in pain again.

“I can do this all night ya know.” He said, then his grin widened as he thought over something. “But I don’t think that pain is the way.”

Then I was shrieking. His long, slender fingers danced over my ribs as he let go of my arms and tickled me. “Nooooooo!” I cried dramatically and tried to push him off. “Ha ha! Stop!”

“Say ‘Nnoitra-sama is the best warrior.’” Nnoitra demanded and jabbed a particularly sensitive part on my side.

“Never!” I said between giggles. Then shrieked again as he redoubled his attacks. “Nnoitra-sama is the best warrior!” I yelled out in defeat, making him finally let go and get off of me as I gasped for breath.

“Hah! You really are too easy.” He commented, staring down at my heaving form.

“But I’m the better warrior.” I said and then had to roll over quickly to dodge a punch he sent. I braced my hands behind my head and drew my legs up, using my stomach muscles to flip my body up onto my feet. “Again?” I asked, already in the defensive position.

“Again.” He agreed, and we started once more.

I was a lot more relaxed when the semester finals came around once more. Kukaku sensei was quite literally pounding Kido into my head and I was much more confident. Rukia and Renji had commented that I was gaining a lot more control of my reiatsu. Probably from having to suppress it all of the time. They hadn’t mentioned Nnoitra again, but I could tell they still thought about.

I passed all of the exams easily, yet again, as did Nnoitra. We would have a week off and then we would be taking our normal courses, plus one extra. The one I most anticipated. Hollow-fights simulation. We were going to be put in groups of three and work on tactics to kill faux hollows.

But for now I didn’t want to think about that. Yet another semester completed and I wanted to relax.

Nnoitra’s POV

As soon as our last final let out for the semester I dragged Ichigo to a restaurant where we could get something to eat and get drunk. Other students were there too, laughing and enjoying themselves. We slinked around them undetected so we wouldn’t have to deal with their stares and got a booth in a dark corner.

“Ugh, one more down.” Ichigo sighed as he relaxed into his seat and rubbed the back of his neck. “Only one to go.”

“Finally.” I groused and propped my feet onto the table. “If I have to do much more of this I’m going to kill someone.”

Ichigo snorted in response. That was one thing I liked about him, no startled indignation at the thought me killing someone or righteous speech of how wrong it is. He probably felt the same way. “Ya know, we didn’t have to take fucking classes to become hollows or arrancar.” I complained. “We were perfectly capable of eating somebody without any fucking lessons.”

He laughed again, which made me feel better. “Maybe Aizen wouldn’t have lost if they had.”

“Ch. Who fucking cares about that Shinigami.”

I liked it when he smiled. He didn’t do it often, mostly because he had nothing to smile about. But it made me feel like I was better than everyone else because I was one of the few who got to see it. I did like the idiotic Shinigami, he was different and that kept me interested. His orange hair and his lashing reiatsu…the fights we had were always enjoyable. It was also kind of nice to have somebody to laugh with rather than to order around.

By the end of the night we were both sufficiently drunk, and stumbling back to our dorm rooms. The hall was dead quiet except for the slap of our feet and the hooting calls from Shinigami students still celebrating. At least this time I didn’t actually have to carry him back, although we were both leaning on each other heavily. I shoved the door open and we stumbled in, Ichigo landing on the floor with a laugh and not bothering to get up again.

“Oi! Idiot!” I said and nudged him with my foot.

“Ngh…” He rolled over and rubbed his face on the floor, already half asleep

“Get up or you’ll be too sore to fight in the morning.” I said with a frown. He grumbled and didn’t move. With an aggravated growl I reached down and lifted him up, then dropped him onto his bed. His ivory skin caught the moonlight shining through the window, contrasting with his orange hair. I frowned at my drunken thoughts and pushed a strand of hair away from his face.

Mmm…I do like Ichi. Stupid little Strawberry. Not thinking, I leaned down and pressed a kiss to his unconscious lips, giving them a long lick and pulling away. He tasted like fresh bread or something. Interesting. I leaned in again and tried to kiss him deeper but his teeth were set in his sleep and I couldn’t pry them apart without waking him. Damn. I regretfully stumbled over to my bed and kicked my sandals off, slipping between the sheets. I wonder if Ichigo would let me kiss him when he’s awake.

LINE

Heh, so Nnoitra kissed Ichigo when he was drunk and Ichigo was asleep…will he remember in the morning?

(1) Kind of like when Grimmjow first attacked Ichigo in the real world.

I really had to include Capoeira because it is so beautiful to watch. I think that Ichigo has the right build for a dancer, but he is also very strong so I think that Capoeira would be perfect for him (and hopefully help him use less brute force).

And seriously people, please review? Make me feel wanted here.