NaClO (By invitation, otherwise CLOSED)

[Armphid]

Isamu swallowed nervously. "No," his voice was oddly hoarse for a moment or two, "no, it's not. You want to..." He felt so...shy with her for some reason. Almost virginal.

"I want all of you, Isamu-san," she answered. She licked her lips and then shifted her hips on him, grinding herself down against his hardness. "Ohhh, especially this part." She rose up off of him, letting her robe fully slide off as she did so. "Show me, please."

He nodded. "Hai, Retsu-san." He scooted himself back on the bed, moving towards the headboard and the many pillows. He gasped as his stiffness rubbed against her on the way; his loins and thighs sliding out from under her.

"Ah, Isamu-san," she cooed. His cock was beautiful. Tall and proud, thick, well shaped, strong, pulsing with want and virility. "Such a big, wonderful dick." She reached out and ran her fingertips up it, smiling as he shuddered and moaned. "So sensitive."

He could only stare as she moved down the bed from him and lay herself more of less flat. She moved in a bit more, adjusting her position, and bringing her head to his manhood. Her tongue slid up his length, "Ahh! R-Retsu-san!" She giggled and licked down it again, then without warning, she took the head of his cock into her mouth and started to suck on it, "HnNN!" His hands clenched the sheets, his back arching for a moment, "God!" Oh, oh, fuck! That felt great! And...and it was her, his captain, his impossible fantasy, giving him head!

But it didn't end there. She looked up at him with twinkling eyes and let out a moan around his dick as she sank her head down. Isamu's breath rushed out of him and he stared as she sweet-eyed captain took about half of him into her mouth. She started to bob her head up and down, her tongue licking and bathing and rasping his length as her lips sealed around his girth, Retsu Unohana giving him the blowjob of his life.

His shaft gleamed with saliva when her head pulled up, only to be covered again as she sank back down upon it with a happy, cooing, moan. Isamu had to fight to keep from bucking his hips into her mouth and choking her on it. God, it felt amazing! "Retsu-san, oh, God, yes. Yes, suck it, suck me. God, it feels so good...never had anyone...do that and have it feel this great. You're so good, so fucking amazing..."

She pulled off his cock and smiled. "I'm glad I haven't forgotten those tricks. But I'd forgotten how much...I love having a big, thick cock in my mouth." He groaned and she licked her lips. "But I think I'm too rusty to deep throat all of this gorgeous dick. Hmm." Then she smiled. "You'll like this, Isamu-san."

He was about to ask what when she moved forward again and he felt the plush softness of her breasts against his balls. "Oh...fuck..."

"Hai." She lifted her large, round, luscious breasts and pressed one on either side of his cock, wrapping his member in her warm, soft flesh. "I know you love my tits." She dipped her head to lick the crown of his cock where it emerged from between her breasts. "Fuck my tits, Isamu-san."

"Yes, fuck, yes," he gasped. He began to move his hips, slowly at first, sliding his spit slick cock up and down in the sleeve of perfect titflesh she'd provided. When his cock slid up, she would take it into her mouth, sucking greedily on the tip and the first inch or so, then he'd sink back down into her tits, and fuck...fuck, this feeling! "God, yes, I'll fuck your tits. Fuck those gorgeous, big, perfect breasts, Ahhh! Oh, Retsu-san!"

 

[HookerBoots]

Squad Four's captain licked her lips as Isamu's cock disappeared between the cleavage of her breasts. It was his reaction to it that made it so hot, more than anything. He was so turned on by her body, the things that she did, that it was wonderful - astonishing, even. And she'd forgotten how . . . sensual it was to give someone a tit-fuck.

Isamu groaned again as the head of his cock slipped between her lips again. This was too hot - he'd dreamed of this, but never thought it would really . . . ever happen. But he was close, almost too close from the pressure of her breasts, the silken and wonderful pressure of her amazing mouth and perfect tits. "Retsu-san . . . god, please . . . I'm so close, but I want . . . ?"

She stopped for a moment, licking her lips like a cat with a saucer of cream. "Isamu-san, do you want to fuck my pussy instead of my tits?" she cooed, her eyes dancing with desire and amusement. Her fingers worked on her breasts, tweaking the already-hard nipples.

"Ohh, yes," he managed, thrusting between her breasts again. "I want that so badly . . . I've dreamed about it."

"Dreamed about it?" She pulled back slightly, letting her breasts fall away from his shaft. "Naughty boy, Isamu-san, thinking of your captain like that." Her voice was soft and breathy, husky with want. "I bet you're thrilled that I want that too."

 

[Armphid]

His breath hissed out of him as Unohana reached up to drag her fingernails down his chest, scraping one nipple as she did so. "Hnn! Yes, Retsu-san, I am. So...amazed and thrilled I can't put it into words. That you...would even think of..."

"More than think of it, Isamu-san," came her gently teasing reply. "Much more." His cock actually twitched and she smiled. He was so responsive. So horny and young and virile...for the first time since she'd heard of the potential cure she felt a pang of regret that she'd be so busy in the years to come. The things she could do to this boy...and he'd learn a great deal about himself. "But you have to be a good boy and ask nicely. Make me sure you really want it. As a captain, I can't just go and give myself to every pretty boy who wants to fuck me."

Good. God. In. Heaven. Hearing his beautiful, pure, sweet Captain Unohana talk so dirty and nasty was just the sexiest thing in the world. "Please, Retsu-san. I've thought of this moment, this chance, since I joined the Squad. From that first day I saw you on the stage and you smiled, I...I wanted you. Please, Retsu-san, let me enter you. Allow me this chance to...to have something I've dreamed of, and to try and give you the pleasure I've wanted to."

Unohana tilted her head to one side, considering. Her mind had been made up well before, of course, but the tease could be such a bonus to both of their enjoyment. Then she smiled, "Very good. Such want and dedication...I can't let that go unrewarded."

"You'll be giving me the greatest reward in all Soul Society," he answered. "Thank you, thank you so much, Retsu-san." His hands moved to take hers, drawing her up as she moved herself, "One that I am...unworthy of."

She looked down at him and her eyes flashed. "Never say that again," she said firmly. He blinked in surprise. "I would not offer any part of myself to one who was unworthy of it, Isamu-san. You are. And you may not believe it but I want you almost as much as you me."

"...Retsu-san..."

She smiled. "Yes. I want this. I want you. I want your hard, hot, half-breed cock buried inside me." She licked her lips as he moaned under her. She straddled him, looking down. "Tell me again."

"I want you, Retsu-san." Isamu ran his hands up and down her calves. God, she looked so hot standing over him like this. That perfect, ripe figure exposed fully to his eyes. So strong, so sexy, so alluring, so commanding. "I want to feel you wrapped around my dick, feel your hot silk gripping me, want to fuck us both into rapture."

Unohana's eyes were bright. "Oh, Isamu-san..." He made her feel so...young. She nibbled her lip and smiled down at him coyly, "Then...we should fuck. Don't you think?" She lowered herself slowly, getting her legs and feet under her body. She reached down and purred as she found his cock. He had such a wonderful male member. She should tell him, when they were done. Her eyes closed as she rubbed it over her slit. "Ohhh..."

"God...yess..."

"Goddess, Isamu-san," she corrected with a wink. Then she moaned louder as she let herself sink down onto him and around him. His thickness pushed into her pussy; so long without she was almost as tight as she had been on that first night centuries ago. "Oh! Oh, yes, Isamu-san. Mmm! So...good. So big..."

"Ahh! Retsu-san! God!" Isamu closed his eyes, his back arching. She was tight, as tight as Rukia had been. So hot and so wet...it was like his dick was being wrapped in folds of the most luxurious silk that had been bathed in hot spring water. "This feeling...Retsu-san's pussy on my cock..."

He thrust upward tentatively and she cried out with a happy wail. "AhhHHH! Yes! Yes, do it, Isamu-san. Let go...let go and fuck me, fuck me, please!"

 

[HookerBoots]

Amaya shifted on the bed, her eyes fluttering open for a moment. Had she heard something? There had been a sound, she thought, but . . . it was probably just Isamu getting up to get a drink of water. She peered around a little, her eyes adjusting slowly to the darkness. The door to the bathroom was partially closed - he must be in there.

She yawned, shifting a little. She wanted to talk with him, but there would be time for that tomorrow. There was no telling how long Unohana-taicho would be occupied with research and things, so they might have most of the day to explore the city. The pink-haired girl turned over onto her side, arms curling around the stuffed monkey again. They'd talk tomorrow, for sure.

~ ~ ~ ~​

The raven-haired captain had one hand planted on either side of Isamu's head, her body leaning forward so that her heavy breasts pressed against his chest. If he lifted his head, the younger shinigami could wrap his lips around either of them that he wanted to - and he had, tongue slipping over the tender nipples before his head went back in pleasure, moaning and gasping for breath.

Unohana moaned as he thrust up into her body again and again, their bodies meeting with a slap before he pulled back again, her hips lifting slightly as well to come back down and meet his upward thrust. "Unh! Oh, Isamu-san," she cooed, her hair slipping over her shoulders and down to rest on his chest, almost as weighty and warm as a living thing. "Such a good fuck, best ride I've had in years!"

He groaned, hands gripping her lush hips more tightly as she bounced on his shaft. "Retsu-san, you feel so amazing! Such a tight, wet hole!" His hands traveled up over her sides, cupping those wonderful breasts before slipping down to her hips again, guiding her in fucking herself on his cock.

 

[Armphid]

"Ahh, hnn," Unohana fought to keep quiet. It would not do to wake Kuragari, especially now. She would feel awful if the girl's heart was broken like that. But he felt so amazing. "Isamu-san, don't stop, ohhh, don't stop fucking me." She was still leaning over him, tits bouncing on his chest as she rode his cock, her hips pounding up and down to meet his thrusts. "I can't...believe I went so long...that I forgot this feeling..."

"Never, nnn, have to again, Retsu-san," he gasped back. "Anytime you want it, anywhere, I'll give it to you. Fuck you good and deep, any way you want it." She was even sexier, an even better screw than he'd imagined. So wanton, so hungry, so responsive and eager! And the fact that it was all still his sweet and pure captain made it even headier.

"I am, uhh, sure you would. You would, ahhh, love that. Love the idea of me calling you into my office, bending over my desk, telling you to give it to me right there?"

Isamu groaned, "Yes! I would!"

"My own little fuck boy," she purred, "ready to stick his hard cock in me whenever I wanted. You'd do it wherever I told you, wouldn't you?"

"Y-yes!"

"In my office. In the infirmiry. Up on the roof. Out on the practice ground." Each image arose in her mind's eye as she pumped her pussy onto his hardness, the two of them trysting, sometimes in front of the shocked eyes of her subordinates. "You lustful boy, you pervert!"

"Hnn! You'd...love it too," he managed to reply. God, he'd never loved being called a pervert so much as right now.

"Me? No one would believe it. You'd get put in the stockade, and I would visit you, and you'd press me up against the bars and fuck the hell out of me there too!" Retsu suddenly gasped. "AhH-hh! Im...possible! Ohh, more, right now, Isamu-san! Harder, please!" She was...she was going to...and just from riding him...that was unlikely, she knew it as a physician, but...but this feeling...

He gripped her hips more firmly and began to buck upwards harder, faster, drilling his hard dick deep into her wet, willing body. His long, thick tool plunged deeper and deeper, sinking into her, spreading her flesh, friction sparking pleasure through them both. "Hai, Retsu-san. As, nnn, as hard as you want it, you hot bitch!"

Her eyes suddenly screwed shut and her mouth opened wide. For a moment, there was no sound. Then it came, starting low, a long, drawn out, moaning, whimpering cry. She shook and trembled above and on him. He could feel her pussy clutching and grabbing at his cock, spasming around him. "Ahhh..hhh...yesss..."

Isamu grinned. Fuck, yes. He'd just made Retsu Unohana cum on his cock. That was...damn. That was something he'd be proud of forever. He kept thrusting up into her, hoping to do more...if he could hold out. But the thought of her cumming, the feel of it was...it was pushing him towards his own release. "Retsu-san, love feeling you cum on my dick, you sweet, gorgeous, pure slut! I'm...fuck, I'm getting close..."

She groaned. She wanted it in her. But it had been so long that she'd stopped taking the medicine female shinigami were issued to prevent certain...complications. "I want...your cum, Isamu-san. I want it...on me. Tell me when you're ready."

"O-kay," he groaned. It wouldn't be long, not with her talking like that.

"Cum, Isamu-san," she cooed. "I want it. I want to feel your hot, greasy, spunk on my skin. All over my pretty face. On my tits. I want it, I want it now, you dirty fucker!"

"Uhh!" That was it! It was about to-"Retsu-saaaan!"

She recognized the way he tensed. Even before he moaned her name she was moving. She slipped off of him and threw herself back. Her tits brushed his cock and she pressed them around it once more, pumping them up and down. A moment later- "Ahh!"

"Uhh, yes!" Isamu groaned, his head back and rolling from side to side. He could not touch her in this position, so his hands instead grasped the sheets, twisting and jerking them about. "Uhh! God! Restu! All my- cum! All for you! You...hnn!"

She closed her eyes as the first jet splashed onto her face. Her hair had fallen between them to block his view. But each word brought a mini-thrust of his hips and another spurt of his jizz. It splattered once more on her face and then fell lower, great gushes rushing onto and over her tits. Finally, it stopped. "So much, Isamu-san. You are a virile young man, aren't you?"

Isamu looked down at her as she sat up. She parted her hair and brushed it back and he groaned, "Oh, God...that's so fucking sexy." His cum was all over her face and tits, glistening in the dim light coming in through the windows. Parts of her flesh seemed almost glazed in his release. "Retsu-san...you look..."

"As good as I feel." She sighed happily and smiled. "I like feeling your cum on me, Isamu-san." She licked her lips and tasted him. "Oh, my. Delicious." She licked her lips again. "I will have to begin taking my medicine again."

"Medicine...?"

She winked, "So that next time..." She pressed a hand on her belly.

~~~~~~~​

Isamu crept back into the room he and Amaya were sharing. After cleaning herself up, Retsu...Unohana-taichou had told him what while she wanted to sleep with him, he should go back to his own room. She'd also reminded him that this was strictly between them. Until next time, at least.

That thought was just...oh, fuck.

He shut the door softly behind him. Amaya was in bed, flipped over the other way now. The monkey was the luckiest simian in the world, held close to the girl's divine body. Isamu felt his heart swell as he watched her sleep. She was so...angelic and yet so sexy.

He paused at her bed long enough to draw the blanket up over her. Unohana was right. He couldn't just give up. They would have other nights.

He yawned as he slipped into bed. It had been a long day. And tomorrow would be...rough.

~~~~~~~​

The three shinigami were up and dressed. Amaya and Unohana were finishing up their breakfast, chatting over some croissants and tea. Unohana seemed vastly amused by the black Western tea, particularly the idea of addin substances to it.

The room phone rang and Isamu picked it up. "Yes?" He stiffened as the hotel operator told him who was calling. "Yes, put it through, please."

"Hey. Takeuchi?"

"That's right. Did you find it?"

"Yeah. They came for the dry cleaning today. So I got the address off the truck. Here it is..."

Isamu hung up the phone a few moments later. "So...that's it then."

"What was the...call? Yes. What was the call about, Isamu-san?"

He felt the two women's eyes on him. "A lead, taichou. About a pharmacy in the city that is slightly, uh, lax about filling prescriptions." He had learned about such a place on the base the other day, so it was true that there was one. This call however was about something far different. "I thought I would check it out and see if we can't get some more of the medications you're curious about."

 

[HookerBoots]

Amaya bit into a jam-covered croissant, watching Isamu on the phone. There was something different about him today, and she couldn't quite put her finger on it. He seemed more relaxed, more sure of himself. But this phone call seemed to change that. Hmmm. But she smiled brightly, brushing buttery crumbs from her robe. "That's a great idea, Takeuchi-kun! We can go while Unohana-taicho works on the things we already have here, if she would be willing to make a list of what she needs for us." The last was more directed at the older woman, and the pink-haired girl gave her a sidelong glance.

Unohana smiled slightly, hiding her lips with her cup after a moment. "Of course I will." She sipped her tea, then peered into the cup again with pleasure. "This is quite good with sugar and lemon! We may have to find some of this and take it back with us." Setting the cup down, Unohana reached to a side table, pulling a pen and pad of paper from the side table and writing down what she wanted them to find. "There you are . . . at least one of each, more if you can. Don't fret if you can't get them all - I know I'm asking a lot."

Amaya took the paper and looked at it, a low whistle coming from her mouth. "We'll do our best, Unohana-taicho." She stood up and turned toward the bedroom. "I'll get dressed so we can get going." And so she could find out what the phone call had really been about.

~ ~ ~ ~​

An hour later, both of the younger shinigami were dressed and ready to go, and bid a temporary farewell to the captain. Amaya had put on a green and white plaid skirt, a green shirt, and a white sweater vest, her legs exposed to mid-thigh by the skirt's length. "All right," she said cheerfully, setting one foot on the edge of the couch to fasten her shoe, "we are ready to go back out on the town!"

Unohana smiled at her, the white robe she was still wearing almost scandalously draping over her curves. "You can take your time, if you like. We've got until midday tomorrow to finish up here. Have some fun today, Kuragari-san, Takeuchi-kun."

 

[Armphid]

Isamu said nothing for a few moments. His eyes were trained on the back of Amaya's skirt as she tied her shoes. It was so short and when she did that it slipped up just enough for him to see...they were green too...

The cloth slipped down as she lowered her leg and it was as if a spell was broken. He blushed and jerked his eyes away. Fuck...what was he, a teenager again? "Uh, yes. I'm sure we will, Unohana-taichou."

She was as beautiful as ever but not the font of serenity she usually was for him. Her white robe clung to her ample curves in the most illustrative way, and here and there the creamy color of her smooth skin could be seen. He stared for a moment and then made himself turn and look at the door. "So...we should go, Kuragari-chan."

If he was in that room with them both dressed like that one minute longer, he'd just explode.

~~~~~~~​

"Uwaaa!" Amaya stretched her arms up over her head, oblivious or uncaring as several passing salarymen walked into objects or one another with the motion. "I slept really well last night. Did you, Takeuchi-kun? I know you were up for part of it."

More than she knew. "After I finally went to bed, yeah. But I stayed up a while." And was he ever glad. It had been a dream come true and a welcome distraction. But that was then and now...now he had to do this.

He still wasn't sure what, exactly, but he just...he had to go there and see them. At least see them.

"So," he said, as nonchalantly as he could, "Unohana-taichou gave us a long list, huh?"

"Hai! I don't know if we can do it all..." Amaya pulled the list out and surveyed it once more. "I'd really like to, but there's so much!"

He smiled. He felt like a real bastard for doing this. But she'd stop him, if she knew. Wouldn't she? Maybe he was being unfair to her. If so, he'd make it up to her another time. "Well, maybe we should divide and conquer. One place might get suspicious if we both show up asking for all this. Why don't we split the list in two and each try a few places? That way, we have a better chance of getting all we can."

 

[HookerBoots]

Amaya stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, earning her a few glares from the people walking around them. Her eyes looked straight at him, one eyebrow cocked. "Takeuchi-kun, I was going to wait and see if you brought it up, but since you aren't . . . ." She folded her arms over her chest, shifting her weight to one hip as she looked at him. "I know that phone call wasn't about the pharmacy - I remember you asking one of the men at the army base about it yesterday. So what was it? And why don't you want me around when you go to do whatever it is?"

He looked at her for a moment. It was so easy to forget how smart she was; Amaya normally acted almost giddy and foolish, even though she was shrewd and emotionally astute. Isamu wanted to lie, but . . . it wasn't fair. If she tried to stop him, he wasn't sure what he'd do, but . . . he owed her the truth, at least. "I . . . managed to track down my parents. And so I was going to go and . . ." and there was the problem. He wasn't sure what he would do when he saw them.

"And what?" She looked at him, sympathy in her eyes but not her voice. "Takeuchi-kun, what would you do when you saw them? Talk to them? Tell them their son was still alive . . . sort of?" She sighed. "Look, this isn't the place to talk about this." She reached out and put a hand on his arm. "Come on, let's have lunch and figure out what we'll do when we see your parents, okay?"

Isamu stared at her, amazed. "You . . . you're not going to stop me?" That wasn't what he'd expected at all.

Amaya dragged him towards a sushi-ya across the street. "I wouldn't even if I could. It means a lot to you to see them again, and I know you'll feel better if you get some closure." She smiled over her shoulder at him, a bright grin that made his heart ache. "So we'll talk about a smart way to do it, and we'll do it, and then get the things that Unohana-taicho wants us to, and if there's time, we'll go to a movie or something." She pushed open the door of the restaurant. "It'll be a rich, full day."

 

[Armphid]

Isamu and Amaya were seated on one of the benches around the little corner sushi-ya. Already a number of native Japanese fast food items sat before them, artistically made with the small restaurant staffs' bare hands. Amaya smiled, "It looks good. Let's eat!"

"Yeah." Isamu broke his chopsticks apart with little enthusiasm. Amaya had not only seen completely through him but also brought up the big problem with the whole affair. He didn't really know what he wanted to do or what he should do. "It does." He didn't feel that good about it now; apprehensive, unsure. But he'd felt better than he had before.

His eyes slid over to his buxom dining companion. It was because of her. Because he wasn't going to have to lie to her or get around her or fight her. That was part of it. It was also just her presence. Her warmth and her support and friendship. "Kuragari-chan. Arigatou."

"Hm? I'm not buying." She giggled at his sour expression, "Aw, don't look like that. It was funny!" Then she sighed, "But I know what you mean."

"I'm really lucky to have you, aren't I?"

"Yup." She popped in a tuna roll and chewed with a raptured expression. "So," she swallowed, "let's talk about this.' She shook her head, "You know the laws, Takeuchi-kun. Normal humans aren't supposed to know about Soul Society or shinigami."

"I know. And I even know there's a good reason why." The risk of upsetting the cycle was too great. Knowing a world potentially without hunger, where they might be able to have incredible powers, lots of people would kill themselves just to get there and throw everything out of whack. "But I just...I have to see them. I have to..."

"To what, Takeuchi-kun?"

He grimaced. "I've always wondered. If they knew what happened to me. If they ever found out. What it...did to them. I know that kind of thing can really hurt a family. I always wondered if they were okay."

Amaya picked up another piece of sushi. "Do you want to talk to them?"

"Of course, I do." He felt her eyes on him. He lowered his head. "But...I can't. It wouldn't be fair to them. I...can only hope they've gotten over it and moved on. If they have, what right do I have to open up those wounds for them? At this point...they're better off without me."

 

[HookerBoots]

The pink-haired girl tapped her chopsticks thoughtfully on the side the plate. "Hmm. I don't know that they're better off, really - though I know that Soul Society is better off with you." She gave him a bright smile before grabbing an unagi roll and popping it into her mouth. Swallowing, she tilted her head. "I think I have an idea."

Isamu looked at her, hope on his face. "Really? What is it?"

Amaya nibbled on a piece of pickled ginger, her green eyes thoughtful. "I could approach them instead, and tell them you'd met my family here when I was little. That you were kind to me, and I had never heard what happened, and did they know." She lifted another piece of unagi and set it on her own plate. "You could put on sunglasses and put your hair back and pretend to be a Westerner on vacation or something, and listen in."

"But, Kuragari-chan," he protested, "you're too old to have been a little kid when I was here." He was surprised when she didn't glare at him - most women got pissy when you told them they were too old for something.

She shrugged. "I am, yes. But they won't know how old I am, and I can pretend to be younger than I really am. And that way, you'll be able to hear how they're doing, and whether they know what happened, and all, without having to reopen any pain they have. What do you think?"

 

[Armphid]

Isamu thought a moment. "It's a good plan, I think. Mostly." He shook his head. "The thing is though, I haven't changed a lot since I...died. It sounds so strange to say that."

"You think they might recognize you?" Amaya hummed as she popped the next roll into her mouth. "I hadn't thought of that. Your mother would for sure." She nodded. "Mothers just know."

He wasn't sure how she knew that but he wasn't going to question it. "Yeah. So that would defeat the purpose."

"Not if they couldn't see you." Amaya nodded. "It's simple! I'll go like in the plan, but you'll leave your gigai somewhere and go as a shinigami. That way you'll be able to see and hear everything, but no one could see you!"

"That's brilliant!" Isamu shook his head, "I forgot that we were in these things. That's...it's great. You're a genius, Kuragari-chan."

She beamed, her cheeks a bit red. "Well, it's so simple, I should have thought of it earlier. But it's pretty fool proof. Unless..."

Isamu quirked an eyebrow, "Unless what?"

She shook her head. "Nothing." It was a possibility but it wasn't very likely at all. She looked up at him and smiled. "It'll work out just fine."

"Kuragari-chan..." He set his chopsticks down and took a deep breath. Then he laid a hand on top of hers. "Arigatou gozaimasu. You've done a lot for me,not just this. I...you're a better friend to me than I've been to you, and I'm sorry about that. But...don't think I don't know. It means a lot to me."

 

[HookerBoots]

She smiled a little sadly at him. Maybe it was true, but she didn't want him to feel bad. And it was nice to know that someone appreciated her, even if it was just . . . . "It's no problem at all, Takeuchi-kun. We'll figure out a way for you to pay me back someday." Amaya's fingers turned to squeeze his for a moment, then pulled back to grip her tea cup. "So, how far away are we from where they are? It'll give us an idea of how much space we'll have to hunt for a place to put your gigai."

Isamu looked at her for a moment, troubled by the sadness he'd sensed in her for a moment. But if she didn't want to talk about it right now . . . it wasn't as though they didn't have enough on their plates today. There was still a moment of hesitation - this might be why he was such a bad friend to her! - but finally he answered her question. "It's about ten blocks up and four over - not too far." And wasn't that the worst thing? He could have been here for weeks and been that close, and never known it.

Amaya nodded firmly. "That's plenty of distance for us to find a place to leave you. Hmm. Maybe a by-the-hour hotel . . . ."

"Kuragari-chan! People will think that you're indecent if we go to one of those places!" He was a little scandalized, but amazed that she'd thought of that. It would be a good solution, no question; he could stay for a short while, have his body incapacitated without being robbed or picked up as a corpse.

She snorted. "I didn't mean us. You could go in and say you were meeting someone, check in, and jump out of the window to meet me on the street." Though if they were in one of those places . . . she was already indecent anyway. Amaya gave herself a little shake. They had a mission, this wasn't the time to be thinking about things like that! "And then, when we were done, I could go into the hotel with spirit-you and get the key to the room, and get your body and whooosh! We'd be on our way, no trouble!"

 

[Armphid]

Isamu thought for a few moments. "...Have I mentioned that you're brilliant?" He grinned, "Not even here a full week and you can plan in this world better than I can."

She nodded. "Well, I am the brains of this operation." Then she winced, "I didn't mean, you know."

"I know." He reached up and put an arm around her shoulder to give her a squeeze. "And you are. The brains I mean. And the brawn."

"What does that make you?"

He winked, "The good looks, what else?"

A shrimp tempura roll flew through the air to smack fairly hard into Isamu's forehead. The young man jerked back, more startled than anything. The sticky rice clung to his brow, giving him a shrimp tail "horn" between his eyes. "Hey!"

"Nyah! Oni," Amaya responded.

"Hmph! At least use one of the ones I didn't want to eat," he grumbled as he removed the food stuff. He realized his error a moment too late. "Ack!" A spicy dragon roll, covered in an orange sauce splattered on his cheek. "Kuragari-chan!"

She giggled, "What? Wasn't that better?" He grabbed the shallow dipping bowl of soy sauce and she yelped, "No, Takeuchi-kun! You'll ruin my outfit!"

"...That would be...damn it! Fine. You got lucky."

She hadn't been sure that would work. "You like this that much?" She looked around and saw up the street, a group of girls. They were all teenagers, and all were wearing something similar to the clothes she was. A sly smile spread over her face. "...Takeuchi-kun, you pervert."

~~~~~~~​

Isamu vaulted out of the hotel room window. It was surprising how much different it felt to be out of his gigai. He'd gotten used to it but now he felt...incredible. Strong, fast, invincible almost. It was also as if his senses had been sharpened tenfold.

He landed beside Amaya. "Thanks for waiting, Kuragari-chan. That's an...interesting place."

"Wish I'd gone with you now, huh? Perv." She winked and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Well, yeah." She blushed and he grinned. Then he sighed. This was it. This was actually going to happen. He was going to see his parents for the first time since his murder..over ten years. "...yeah."

He felt a warm, soft hand on his. His golden eyes looked down into Amaya's green ones and he nodded. "It's okay. I'm ready."

 

[HookerBoots]

Amaya smiled up at Isamu, then turned to face down the street. "Okay," she said softly, "where are we heading?"

She followed his directions, letting him lead them down the complicated Tokyo street grid. Finally, they reached a small, neat house nestled into a small, neat neighborhood. There was something about the place that made Amaya feel soothed - maybe it was the color of the outside, or the brightly painted window boxes growing flowers. It was a homey place.

Isamu looked at the number on the house and swallowed hard, looking at the house where his family lived. "This is the place."

"Are you ready for it, Takeuchi-kun?" she asked, looking at him steadily. "We can turn around now, if you want to." She already knew the answer, of course, but it wouldn't be fair not to give him the chance.

He nodded. "I'm . . . as ready as I'll be. Go ahead, Kuragari-chan, knock on the door." There were butterflies in his stomach, and a frog in his throat. It's probably best that Amaya would be doing the talking.

The two of them marched up to the door, Amaya squaring her shoulders before putting on her best 'innocent girl' expression, and knocking. And then they waited.

The door opened, showing a teenage girl with hair the same color as Isamu's, but hazel eyes instead of golden. "Hai? If you're selling something, miss, I'm afraid we don't want any."

Amaya smiled. "Gomen nasai, I'm not selling anything. I would like very much to talk to Mr. or Mrs. Takeuchi, if that would be possible."

The girl turned, pulling her shirt tightly over a stunning figure as she looked over her shoulder into the house. "Hold on a second, please." She shut the door gently, and they could hear her yelling as she went down the hallway, "Ma! There's something at the door for you!"

"You never mentioned a sister," Amaya murmured, glancing at Isamu.

He looked almost stricken. "I . . . I didn't have one."

 

[Armphid]

Another voice came from inside the house, an older woman's voice, chiding and slightly exasperated. "Don't bellow, Chihiro. You're starting to become a woman, you should begin acting like a lady."

"Pshh, just 'cause I'm growing these things doesn't mean I should act all...girly." The teen's tone made it plain that acting in such a way would be a tremendous affront to her dignity.

"Chihiro!" There was a pause. "Who is it at the door?"

"I don't know, some girl. She said she wanted you or Dad."

"I see." The door opened again. "She's her brother all over again," sighed the woman standing there. She was tall for a woman, in Japan anyway, and was generously endowed. Her hair was a shade or two lighter than Isamu's and here and there a streak of gray could be seen. It was swept up into a high bun atop the back of her head. Her eyes were a light hazel color, world-wise and kind, mostly happy yet there was a hint of sadness in them. She wore a traditional woman's robe despite being Western. "I'm sorry for my daughter's rudeness." Her Japanese was lightly accented, traces of her homeland leaking into it. "I'm Anne Takeuchi. How may I help you, miss?"

Isamu stared. She looked so much older. In his memory she was still a woman in her 30's, a ripe bloom of womanhood. Her beauty was still there, her ripe figure intact, but there were wrinkles that were new, and the gray in her hair. "Mom..." His eyes stung. God.

"I'm Amaya Kuragari, Takeuchi-san." The pink haired bombshell bowed, "Hazimemashite." She straightened. "Um, I'm not sure how to say this and it may sound crazy, but..." She looked down at her feet, scuffing her shoes on the mat. Her cheeks were flushed in a light blush.

"Oh, my. It's all right, Kuragari-san. You poor thing." Anne's matronly instincts were taking over. "Whatever it is, it'll be fine."

Isamu was a bit shaken from the impact of the moment. He didn't know Amaya could be so manipulative. It was shocking and also kind of...hot. Who knew?

Amaya raised her face. Her eyes were shining with hope and the wetness of unshed (and false) embarrassed tears. "Yes, ma'am." She sniffed, "Um, you see, I heard there was a family with this name living here and that you were, um..."

"A gaijin?" Anne's face was tolerant and almost bemused.

"H-hai." Amaya nodded. "And I thought that...you might be related to him."

"...Him?" Anne's bearing shifted slightly. "I'm not sure that I understand, Kuragari-san."

"Well, when I was younger...I had a really hard time and...there was a boy who was very kind to me." Anne's face was openly shocked. "His name was Takeuchi too, and he was, well...part-gaijin. He was really nice to me and helped me learn to be strong and stand up for myself. But after one day, he just...went away." She shook her head and pressed her hands together and then to her chest. "I always...wanted to thank him and let him see what kind of person I grew up to be because of him. But I didn't know where he went."

"I see." Anne smiled; it was a tender smile but one that was both sweet and bitter. Her eyes were unchanged though there was now a slight dewiness to them. "What was this boy's name?"

"Isamu."

The older woman nodded. "I see." Her voice wavered just a bit. "Come in, Kuragari-san. We can talk a bit about him." She stood aside and beckoned for Amaya to enter. "I can tell you where he is and I would be...very happy to hear about my b-, I mean, my son."

Isamu slipped in behind them as the door closed and the two women went down the hall. "My boy," he whispered.

"Chihiro! Come downstairs and put on some tea, then come to the dining room!"

"Aww, come on! Gatchaman is on, Ma!"

"Now, young lady!"

 

[HookerBoots]

Sitting in the small dining room, Amaya held her cup of tea in both hands, resting lightly on the table. Isamu's mother sat across from her, while Isamu himself sat to one side, slightly back from the table, Chihiro across from him. It was a curious gathering, and it felt almost like all three of the women were aware of the fourth person in the room. Amaya's expression was fully stricken, and completely false. "Oh, no. I never thought . . . well, I had thought that something must have happened." She looked down at her hands. "He didn't seem like someone who would leave without saying goodbye."

Anne shook her head. "He wasn't. Isamu was . . . loyal to everyone he cared about." She smiled sadly at the pink-haired girl, then reached into her pocket, opening a small white packet and pouring the contents into the cup. "He would never have left without telling you."

From his spot near the table, Isamu watched with a bemused expression. She was still the same in so many ways - never tea without sugar, even if it wasn't Western-style tea. He shifted a little, then stopped as he saw the girl across the table looking at where he was sitting.

"Chihiro," Anne said, "what is it? You look like you're thinking hard about something."

"I thought . . ." the girl frowned. "I thought there was something moving there. But there's nothing. Weird." She turned her attention to Amaya. "I'm sorry, Kuragari-san, but I can't believe you knew my brother - you're not that much older than I am, and he was gone long before I was born."

Amaya smiled brightly. "Thank you, Takeuchi-san. But I'm a bit older than I look - and I was a little girl when I knew him." She sighed, twisting her cup in her hands slightly. "I'm sorry you never got the chance to know him - he was always very kind to me. I'm certain he would be a good older brother."

Anne nodded, the sadness back in her eyes. "He would have been." She fidgeted a little with the empty sugar packet, folding it into a little square. "Kuragari-san, could you . . . my husband and I don't know much about the time Isamu spent here before he . . . before the accident. Do you remember anything you could tell me?"

She sipped her tea. "Well, when I was about eight years old, I had decided to run away - the other children were mean to me because of my hair and my eyes." One hand almost self-consciously touched her hair. "They stand out, I'm sure you can tell. So I went over to tell Isamu-san that I wouldn't be around anymore." Smiling as though she were remembering something fondly, Amaya went on. "He told me that he wanted to give me a pleasant memory before I left, and took me to an amusement park. He even won me a stuffed monkey, and bought me some cotton candy, but then we sat down on a bench." She licked her lips. "He told me that running away wouldn't solve the problems I was having. That I needed to be strong, so that I could show the people who were being mean to me that they were wrong to do it."

 

[Armphid]

Anne laughed. "And then, of course, he couldn't let it lie at that."

Amaya shook her head with a smile, "No, that doesn't sound like him."

"So what did Onii-san do?" Chihiro was leaning on one hand, her chin cupped in the palm. She'd become more interested as time went on but was still occasionally distracted by something. Her mother assumed it was just teenage flightiness. Amaya knew better. Whenever Chihiro was distracted, the girl was looking at where Isamu was.

The aging beauty smiled. "Well, we'd made him promise not to play rock and roll on the morning announcements to keep him from being expelled." She sighed, "And the first school day after, there was no such music in the announcements. So after they were over, he used a soldering iron from shop class to wire the switch to the intercom so it couldn't be closed, put on the longest album he had, and snapped the key off in the lock to the room."

Isamu smirked. He could still remember the looks on the principal's face. Most of the teachers felt the same way. Buddy Holly and the Crickets weren't even that hard as rock and roll went.

He'd risen to explore the house some. It was unfamiliar but here and there were things he knew. Old dishes and small keepsakes. Pictures from his childhood...was he ever that small? On one shelf, his old bear was sitting. That had hit him. A lot harder than he expected. He'd reached out and patted the rough looking old stuffed animal with tears in his eyes. He hadn't noticed Amaya watching him just then.

An hour or so had passed. The women were now listening to stories about Isamu's childhood and youth. Amaya had told a few as well; old Academy happenings given a sharp twist to fit their made-up time frame. He thought his stock had gone up in his sister's eyes since they'd started.

God. He had a sister. She was sassy, smart, gorgeous...the guys must be all over her. He bristled at the thought. If he were...it was his duty as older brother to whup her suitors' asses and scare any other boys off. But he wouldn't ever be able to.

"Onii-san sounds like he was pretty cool." Chihiro leaned back from the table, onto her elbows. "I wish I could have known him." She blushed a little, "I mean, not like I didn't before but Mom and Dad never really talk about him."

"It...pains your father a great deal still, Chihiro," Anne said softly. "It hurts me too, it's never really stopped but it's...less." She looked over to the apartment's shrine. Sitting beside it was a framed picture of Isamu, taken a few days before he left for his trip to Japan. "I know that we will see him again, on the other side. And that takes the edge off, at least."

The front door opened, "Okaaa-san! Tadaima! Otoo-san will be in in a minute, he's talking with Kaji-ojii-sama." Isamu froze as there came the sounds of furtive motion from the door. It...was it...? A few moments later, a little boy ran into the room. He was maybe ten years old; his hair darker than his sister's but his eyes more like his dead brother's. "Okaa-san, Onee-chan, guess what? I got a home run in-" The boy stopped dead when he saw Amaya. He blinked, tilting his head as he looked at her. Then he turned his gaze across the room to where Isamu was. "...Who're they?"

 

[HookerBoots]

"Ara! Daichi, don't be so rude to our guest!" Chihiro took on the role of big sister quickly, her eyes dancing as she scolded a little. "And so dirty, too! You should go upstairs and clean up before you meet Kuragari-san!"

Anne looked over at her daughter, a small smile on her lips. "Chihiro, don't be so hard on him. Daichi, go upstairs and clean up, please - and put your dirty clothes in the hamper this time, and your mitt and bat away properly."

The little boy nodded, his eyes shifting between Amaya and Isamu. "Hai." He starting up the stairs, the mitt in one hand thumping against the stairs.

Amaya smiled a little. "They're all like that at that age, aren't they?" She glanced at Isamu, who seemed as concerned as she was. The boy hadn't said 'she'. He'd said 'they'. He could see Isamu, even as a shinigami. That wasn't surprising, but it was the one thing she'd been worried about happening. Since Isamu himself had high enough spiritual pressure to become a shinigami, it was likely that at least one person in his family would have enough to be able to see him.

"I never was," Chihiro said, lifting the teapot, then stopping. "I suppose I'll have to make more, Ma?"

The American transplant smiled. "Very good, dear. And if you could . . . never mind, I'll make the snacks." She straightened up slowly, brushing a hand over her hair. "Kuragari-san, if you would be willing to stay a little longer, I'm sure we'd all love to hear more about Isamu."

Amaya nodded. "Of course. It would be an honor." As the other two women walked out of the room, Amaya sat quietly, then looked at Isamu, her eyes wide. "Takeuchi-kun," she hissed, "he can see you! What are we going to do?"

 

[Armphid]

Isamu sighed, "It's all right. The only solution is for me to leave." He made his way to one of the room's windows and slid it open. "Besides, from everything I've seen and heard...I don't know that I need to hear more. They're okay. And Chihiro and Daichi have taken m...helped them to deal with what happened. Which is good."

"Takeuchi-kun, that's not really true and you know it." Her green eyes were fierce but there was sympathy as well. "You stay right outside that window and you listen in and you'll see."

He paused with one foot up on the sill. Then he smiled, "I know better than to argue with you when you've got that face on." He hopped out the window and slid to the right, sitting down on the grass of the small yard.

"...What face?" Amaya blinked. Then the door opened and she heard an older male voice call out. She turned and bowed, "Konnichi wa, Takeuchi-san."

From outside, Isamu heard his father's steps approaching Amaya. "Ah...Konnichi wa, okyakusan." There was a pause. Then the man's tone took on a teasing note, "Thank you, honey, and it's not even my birthday."

Chihiro's voice suddenly cut sharply from the kitchen, "Dad! Don't be such a pervert, you'll scare her!"

Isamu's father laughed and then sighed, "Hai, hai, Chihiro-chan." He was tall for a Japanese, his hair mostly gray as well. He wore glasses and his face was handsome beneath; worn with lines from both smiling and sorrow. "I'm Nobiyuki Takeuchi. Forgive me, okyaku-san, I'm a bit of a joker sometimes."

Chihiro was standing in the kitchen door, her hands on her hips. "And a perv! Get in here and help Mom out instead of ogling. Honestly!" She turned with a sniff and a toss of her hair.

The older man smiled fondly and inclined his head, "Excuse me, miss. I'm sure we'll get introduced soon." Nobiyuki left her alone, heading into the kitchen as well. Amaya sighed. She felt so strange doing this. Lying to them with half-truths and all. But...this was for Isamu, so she could do it a little longer.

She felt eyes on her and looked up at the stairs that led to the second floor. The little boy, Daichi, was on them, staring at her between the bars of the stair railing. "Umm, onee-san? Who are you and why was Onii-san's ghost with you?"

 

[HookerBoots]

Amaya smiled at the little boy. This family was so warm and caring . . . she could understand why Isamu felt so keenly their loss. "I'm a friend, Daichi-san. Come sit down and I'll explain." He looked hesitant, but she added, "Your mother and sister went to make tea and fix you a snack, so we can talk for a little bit while you wait."

The promise of incoming food was enough to bring the freshly scrubbed boy into the room, and he settled down where Isamu had been sitting before. "No one's called me 'san' except my teacher before. Are you a teacher, onee-san?"

Her lips curved again. "No, I'm not. It's a polite way to address someone you don't know, that's all. And since there are lots of Takeuchi-sans in the house, I figured it would be all right." She rested her hands gently on the table. "I'm Amaya Kuragari - I stopped by to talk with your mama about your onii-san."

The little boy blinked. "Is that why his ghost was with you? Are you performing his last task, so that he can move on to the afterlife?" His world was clearly colored with stories of ghosts who needed to complete unfinished business - Amaya could only assume he spent more time than she'd thought watching television.

Looking around as though she was going to tell him a great secret, she leaned forward a little. "Daichi-san, can you keep a secret? It's very important," she said in a stage whisper.

"Hai," he responded in kind, his small face eager and serious, certain that this was going to be the most important thing he'd ever heard.

"Your onii-san already made it to the afterlife - and he became a shinigami." The gold-flecked brown eyes opened wide. "It's okay, he's not hear to take anyone back with him. He and I came here together so that he could see your parents again, and make sure they were all right."

Daichi thought about this information for a moment, then nodded. "They're okay - they don't cry hardly at all anymore. And every six months we all go out to the cemetery to make sure that his headstone is tidy." He hesitated a minute. "Kuragari-san, are you . . . are you a ghost too?"

She nodded solemnly. "I'm a shinigami, just like your onii-san. We work together to make sure that people's ghosts go to the right places." Amaya wiggled a hand at him. "Don't worry, I didn't steal someone's body - this is a false body that they give us so we can interact with everyone else who can't see us like you can." After a moment's hesitation, she asked, "Have you always been able to see ghosts?"

"Uh-huh. Ever since I was little."

Amaya nodded, not even cracking a smile as his certainty that he was no longer little. "Does your family believe you?" He shook his head emphatically, and she sighed. "Don't worry, Daichi-san. The things you can see are real, and they mean you're special. They don't scare you, do they?" He shook his head again, and she sighed. At least he wasn't scared of the ghosts he saw. "That's good - you're very brave." She reached out and patted his hand. "Don't worry about anything scary you see, Daichi-san. Your onii-san and I - and everyone like us - is here to keep you safe."

A slow, shy smile spread over his face. "Okay," he said softly. "Thank you, Kuragari-san." He looked around. "Where did onii-san go?"

She glanced at the window. "He went outside, he didn't want to scare you or your family."

He went over to the window, looking outside until he spotted Isamu again. He waved. "Arigatou gozaimasu, onii-san! I'm glad that you're not a vengeful ghost!"

"Daichi! Why are you leaning out the window?" Anne walked into the room, a tray in her hands.

Amaya smiled as the boy pulled his head back inside. "He thought he heard one of his friends, Takeuchi-san, so I told him to look outside."

The rest of the family filed in as Anne sat down and set the tray on the table. "Ahh. All right, then. Come sit down, Daichi, and have your snack before you do your homework."

~ ~ ~ ~​

They walked back down the street, Isamu back in his body now. They were both quiet, a contrast to the businessmen talking on about investments and women herding children. Amaya had stopped at a malt shop and bought herself and Isamu milkshakes, and was happily slurping at hers as they walked.

After a half a block, she glanced at him. "So, Takeuchi-kun," she said with a sidelong glance, "do you feel any better, knowing what you know now?"

 

[Armphid]

Isamu took a long slurp of his milkshake before he answered. He wasn't honestly sure what to say. He hadn't been thinking about what had happened or processing what he'd seen. He had just been letting himself feel it. The shock at seeing his parents aged and at having siblings. The fresh pang of his loss. The regret of not being able to be the big brother his sister and brother could use. The guilt over his parents' pain and of resenting his siblings for taking his place despite the fact that they clearly hadn't. And that feeling of...bittersweet love and happiness when Daichi had leaned out the window and called out to him.

Amaya took another suck on her straw. "Not an easy answer, is it?"

"No," he replied, "but at the same time...it is." He shook his head. "I'm not making sense. There's a lot that goes into it but there is a pretty simple answer to your question in the end."

The busty shinigami nodded. She waited another few seconds as they walked further down the street. "So then...what is the answer?"

Again, he didn't immediately answer. They walked on for a few more beats. "My parents...are okay. They miss me and mourn me but they've gotten on with their lives. And the family will go on. My sister and brother probably did a lot for that, for my parents, I mean. And they seem to be healthy and strong. Even then...they never met me but they know me. My family is happy. It...hurts a little to know that they're happy without me but I know that's just a primal reaction to it, I'm much more relieved than upset that they're doing fine. Hell, they're doing great."

Amaya nodded, "Hai, they are. Your family is very good, there's a lot of caring there." She then looked up at him again. "But that's them. What about you, Takeuchi-kun?" She paused a moment and then looked down with a faint rosiness to her cheeks. "I like them but I...didn't do all of this for them. I did it for you. So...I'll ask again. Do you feel any better now?"

Isamu smiled, a small and somewhat sad smile. "Gomen, Kuragari-chan." He took a deep breath and looked up. "I do. I feel like...a weight's been taken off of my back. I can breathe easier. And I feel as though I can...focus now on being a shinigami. You said earlier that I'd find closure and you were right. That's how it feels. It's bitter sweet...but it's more sweet than bitter."

"Good!" Amaya beamed, "I'm happy then, Takeuchi-kun."

Isamu flushed a bit, "I...thanks, Kuragari-chan." He then took another deep breath. "But this has made something else clear for me too."

"Oh?"

"Mom said that she knew she'd see me again. In a better place." Isamu shook his head, "Right now, Soul Society...I don't know that it's as good as this world, let alone better. When they come to the other...to our side, I want it to be exactly that. A better place. Which means I have a lot of work to do. I've been taking it easy, getting distracted by this and other things." He clenched a fist and held it up in front of him, "No more! I will make Soul Society into what it should be! For my family and for all the others that suffer and hope for something better after life."

His voice was ringing. There was an edge to it, and a surging power in it that Amaya had heard before. Inwardly, she sighed with relief. He was going to be all right. He was back. "I know you will." She smiled sweetly as he looked down at her. "From the first time you told me, I was sure that you'd do what you said. You'll become a captain and you'll make things better."

"Kuragari-chan..."

"I believe in you, Takeuchi-kun." Her green eyes held his gaze and stole his breath away. "Just like your family does."

Isamu bowed his head. "I'm...humbled that you...thank you, Kuragari-chan." He lifted his head, "I'm counting on you too." He rubbed the back of his neck, "I, well, I wouldn't have made it this far without you. And I know that I'll need your help to go the distance." He shook his head. "So don't say that I'm going to change Soul Society."

He turned to her and looked down into that beautiful face. God, she was so pure. Not in a puritanical sense but in her self, the essence of her spirit and person. "Because I'm not going to. WE are going to do it, Kuragari-chan. Together."

 

[HookerBoots]

She smiled up at him, her green eyes shining. "I'll do what I can to help you, Takeuchi-kun. We'll work together to grow strong enough to make the changes we want." Amaya flushed a little, and looked down. She felt shy, for some reason, when he looked at her like that. It was hard to keep her composure while he looked at her with those warm gold eyes.

"So, where is the pharmacy that we need to stop at?" she said, twirling the straw in her milkshake. "I would hate to go back to the hotel and tell Unohana-taicho that we haven't got anything to show for our time out in the big city."

Isamu blinked. "Right, of course." This was, even though it didn't seem that way, an important part of changing Soul Society. If this trip of theirs was a success - and there was no reason to think it wouldn't be - the complexion of the Seireitei would change completely. "Umm . . . ." He reached into a pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. "I think we're not too far afield from where we should be." If the little map he'd drawn himself was right, they were only five or six blocks from the place they needed. "This way."

Amaya followed, still slurping away at her liquefied ice cream. "So which of us is going to distract, and which of us is going to get what we need? I was the distraction last time, but I'm good at it."

He grinned. "You are a great distraction, Kuragari-chan." He thought for a moment. "I don't think the same thing we did in the hospital will work, but we can decide what to do when we see the pharmacist."

"Why's that?"

"Well," Isamu said with a small smile, "if it's a man, we'll have you distract him. But if it's a girl, I'll charm her while you take what we need. It's strategic planning, that's all."

 

[Armphid]

The pool at the hotel was sparsely populated at this time of day but there were still several people there. Businessmen on "meetings" lounged in beach chairs by the poolside, drinking their lunches and harassing the swimsuit clad waitresses and life guards. A family on vacation in Tokyo splashed in one end, a boy in his early teens, a little girl, and their mother, the father sitting in a deck chair and watching with a bemused expression.

"Ne, ne, kawaii-chan," a shirtless man cooed at one of the servers, "why don't you have a sit and drink with me?" He patted his lap and laughed as the girl blushed and shook her head. "Come on, I'll give you a big tip. Two, even!" He laughed again and then suddenly gasped. His glass fell from his hand and shattered on the sun warmed concrete.

"Ah, sir?" The waitress blinked. The man's eyes were looking past her; his expression dazed. She turned her head to follow the gaze. Then she gasped as well, "Oh! Oh, my."

Retsu Unohana's robe slipped the last bit off of her arms as she descended the steps into the pool's shallow end. her long, glorious, blue-black hair was unbound and became a floating, trailing banner in the water behind her as she walked, fanning out over it's surface. Her face was demurely cast down; though there was a hint of a smile on her lips. Her luscious, ripe curves were fully displayed by her swimsuit, a blue bikini with yellow lines and straps, barely seeming to contain her large breasts, the bottom equally skimpy, particularly in back, showing her long legs.

Everyone else stopped what they were doing to stare openly at the beautiful captain. The boy playing with his sister and mother gaped as she passed him, looking over to give him a smile. His sister looked up at her brother and then down into the water. "...Onii-chan, what's wrong with your thingy? It's all swollen!"

A woman standing by her husband at the poolside glanced down at him and then frowned, "So's yours, you pervert. How dare you?"

Unohana smiled a bit as she pushed forward and swam out into the deeper end. She still had it. If only the boys back home could see her now. She felt a bit bad about this. The truth was that all the work she could do here had been finished up last night. Sending Isamu and Amaya out today had really just been to give her a little time to relax alone. And to, hopefully, allow them to have some fun together as well. Their connection really was quite strong and to her experienced eyes, quite obvious as well.

~~~~~~~​

"No, really, miss." Isamu leaned onto the counter and smiled. The woman behind it was slightly flushed. She was in her twenties, fairly plain looking, with horn rimmed glasses and her hair up in a tight bun. "I can see that you're the reason so many people come here."

The woman's flush spread. "Sir, you...you really shouldn't say such things." She reached up to pull off her glasses.

"Wait, don't." Behind the woman, Amaya's head poked out of the back room and she twirled her index fingers around one another in a stall gesture. Then she gave him two thumbs up and darted back into the chamber.

"Uh? I don't-"

"You're cuter in the glasses," Isamu said. "So, let me ask, pretty, you have a boyfriend?"

"A-ara!" She took a half step back and shook her head furiously, "No, I mean, sir, you're too forwa-"

"Ahh, it's like that, huh?" Isamu leaned on one hand on the counter. "Makes sense, I guess." The woman stared at him; her confusion clear. His grin grew wider. "You've got a bunch, huh? How many? Two? Five?"

"Ah!" Her blush was now a deep scarlet, covering her whole face. "Sir! I don't have a boyfriend at all, let alone...I'm just...I'm not that kind of girl!"

"Okay, okay, Gomen nasai. I didn't mean to embarrass you. It's just...such a cute girl and all alone, that's a damn shame." He shrugged, "I thought you'd have a bunch of guys hounding you for sure."

She shook her head again. "No, I'm...much too plain for that."

Isamu shook his head. "I don't think so. You have a nice face, you're fit, and you really do look cute in those glasses." He tilted his head and looked at her closely. "Hmmm."

The blush that had been fading returned. She fidgeted under his scrutiny, "Wh-what is it?"

"Your hair. I bet you'd look really pretty if you wore it down."

Her hand went up to the bun almost as a reflex, pausing before touching it. "My hair? But...this is out of the way and it looks professional."

Isamu smiled as he leaned back. Behind the woman, Amaya had emerged once again and hopped over the counter. She flashed him a grin and a wink before walking nonchalantly for the door. "Well, miss, I guess I wonder which would bring in more customers and make them happy...a cute girl or a professional looking one." He nodded, "Thanks for filling my prescription. Good luck!"

"H...Hai." Isamu walked to the door as well. He glanced back as he opened it to see the pharmacist reaching up to her bun again.

Amaya beamed as he stepped outside, "Nice going, Takeuchi-kun. I really looted the place thanks to you."

She fell into step beside him, carrying a bulging bag. "I don't know that you should announce it so plainly, Kuragari-chan."

"Ara! Don't be so worried!" God, she was so adorable when she was like this. He loved it. She bounced ahead a few paces to turn around and smile at him again. "If anyone says anything, we can always mind wipe them!"

She patted her sweater and Isamu gulped. Drawing his attention to there...where she was keeping the memory altering device snuggled between her...

He became aware that she'd said something. "Gomen, what was that, Kuragari-chan?"

"I said we've almost got it all." She was perusing the long list they'd been given. "Do you think we should go for broke?"

Isamu considered a moment, "Well, Unohana-taichou said that she didn't really need the everything, a lot of it was just things she'd like to have." And they'd gotten all the critical ones. "It's up to you, Kuragari-chan. But I think we've done enough. Besides, I'm not sure how much more our bags can hold."

"I hadn't thought about that." She hefted hers in a testing way. "Good point. So, what now?"

He smiled, "Well, let's go put all of this in the car. And then I think...yeah." Isamu let his eyes trail over Amaya. God, that outfit. "How about I take you to a movie, Kuragari-chan?"

"Yeah! Something scary!"

 

[HookerBoots]

"So what's this movie supposed to be about?" Amaya asked, crunching into a handful of popcorn. She'd let Isamu pick the film while she herself approached the concession stand eagerly. A giant tub of popcorn, a box of Gummi Bears, a box of melon candy, and two giant drinks later, they'd marched into the theater and found seats. The food was sprawled around them, letting each of them snack at will, and the previews were running as they plowed through the food.

Isamu took a drink of his soda, sighing happily - you couldn't get Coke in Soul Society no matter how much you paid. "Well, I picked it because it looked sort of scary - there was a shark on the poster." It was also American, which was . . . well, he hoped she'd be able to follow it, but when he saw it was the only import at this theater, he'd leaped at it.

She swallowed a mouthful of bears. "Oh, that's good. Sharks are scary . . . I mean, not if you don't get in the water, but they've got all those teeth." Without a pause, she went on. "I hope it's good, and not too scary - I would hate to disrupt your sleep by climbing into bed with you if I have a nightmare." That wouldn't be bad at all, though, curling up next to him, feeling his arms around her . . . Amaya grabbed another handful of popcorn. It wasn't good to think things like that . . . they had a mission, and it wasn't right to get too distracted. Was it?

Before he could respond, the lights dimmed fully, the opening credits starting to run. Isamu was so distracted by what Amaya had just said that he wasn't able to focus on the first few moments of the movie. It would be . . . yes, it would disturb his sleep to have her in bed with him, but not in the way she meant. He sighed softly as Jaws began, trying to focus on the film instead of the girl next to him.

 

[Armphid]

As it turned out, focusing on the movie was both easy and hard. It was better than he'd hoped it would be. It was also subtitled so at least Amaya could get most of it.

She seemed to be enjoying herself. She was raptly attentive and he realized she'd never seen a movie before. They'd come a long way since he'd seen one himself...in color and the cameras had such better focus and resolution. But it was hard to pay full attention. In the dark with the dim light of the projector, he could allow himself to look at her. He felt a little creepy but...he liked watching her. Seeing her reactions and emotions play across that beautiful face and the shift of her bounteous chest when she jumped was just wonderful.

Then Amaya looked over at him and their eyes met. Isamu's face reddened. Shit, he was busted! She smirked and leaned over, "Are you too scared to watch, Takeuchi-kun? Here." She grabbed his hand and threaded her fingers with his. She winked, "I'll keep you safe."

He was about to argue but just shut his mouth and nodded. "Thanks, Kuragari-chan."

They spent the film that way,holding hands. She squeezed his whenever something scary or particularly interesting or funny happened. As it went on, she began to lean a little towards him. When the shark made it's first appearance she let out a muffled "Eep" and pressed against his arm.

God, he loved scary movies.

They walked out together later. The sun was setting and the city air was cool on their faces. Isamu looked down at their joined hands. If only..."So, did you like it?"

"Hai!" She beamed up at him, "It was good! And scary too...a lot more than I thought!"

"Yeah." He shook his head, "It's going to be hard for me not to be a little freaked out next time I get in the water."

"Hee!" Amaya winked again, "Well, I'll protect you then too, Takeuchi-kun."

Isamu considered a moment. Wouldn't that put her in the bath with him? He grinned, "I'll hold you to that, Kuragari-chan."

She gasped and gave him a look of mock fierceness, "I meant swimming, Takeuchi-kun, you pervert!"

"Does the hot springs count?"

She giggled, "Hope springs eternal, doesn't it?"

"When it comes to you and me, Kuragari-chan." That...had let on a lot more than he meant to. He blushed and looked away, Amaya doing likewise. They stood on the sidewalk for a few minutes, neither sure what to say or do now.

"Uh." Isamu cleared his throat, "I'm hungry, how about you?"

"Yes!" Her voice was relieved. "Yes, I am. Let's get something good on our last night. Something neither of us has tried before!" She stepped up to the curb, standing on her tiptoes and raising her hand for a taxi. As it pulled up, she finally pulled her hand from his.

He sighed, flexing it. Her hand had been so warm and soft. He could still feel the heat from her on his skin. Isamu lifted his hand and looked at it before smiling sadly. Was that as close as they'd ever come? "Come on, Takeuchi-kun," her voice cut in. "We're going to get...Korean food!"

"All right, Kuragari-chan." He slid into the backseat of the taxi beside her. As it pulled out, he looked over at her. "...I'm really glad we've been able to spend time together like this."

Her pretty blush made his heart swell. "Me too. Maybe when we get back..." She then shook her head, "Um, forget it. You'll transferring to a new squad and we'll both be training harder."

His eyes didn't leave her. "I'll make time for you, Kuragari-chan. We'll have some good times back...back home too."

"Home, Takeuchi-kun?" Those green eyes were pleased but also seeking something.

"With you, in Soul Society." His smile was bittersweet. "You know, home."

~~~~~~~​

Unohana stretched languidly, yawning. It had been a very good day. A lazy one and she felt a bit guilty but there would be many, many busy days in the future. It was nice to be pampered, and as Kyouraku-kun would say, take it easy.

After the swim she had gone to a modern spa and it had been glorious. Massage, a mud bath and facial, pedicure and manicure, and all the women there had ooo'd and aaaa'd over her hair and her figure. A selfish day, perhaps, but a very emotionally satisfying one.

She was reclining on a one of the balcony chairs, again in her white robe. She was going to steal it. She loved this modern fabric, whatever it was called. They were going to have to get modern textiles in Soul Society too. She felt a moment of regret for her old mentor...Yamamoto-san was going to be taking a lot of shocks in the next few years...

Her eyes opened. They were back. She smiled and rose. As nice as it had been to be alone, she would be glad for the company. Kuragari was such a wonderful spirit and Isamu was a great delight. It was also fun to tease him. Particularly when Kuragari helped. She took a moment to make sure her robe was open just a bit more than was decorous.

There came two raps at the door, "Taichou, we're back," came Isamu's voice. Then the door opened. He was carrying two large bags, "We were able to get most of what you want...ed." He stared openly for a moment at her. The robe clung to her curves in a scandalous way; enough leg and cleavage showing to tease.

"Welcome back, Takeuchi-kun, Kuragari-san." She smiled winningly. "Did you have a good day?"

Amaya pushed in past the still stunned Isamu, "Hai, Unohana-taichou! We got almost all the medicines and supplies you wanted, and saw a movie, and tried new food. Korean food!" She brandished a bag full of take-out boxes. "We brought some for you! And...for us to share with you!"

Unohana smiled. "I would feel awkward eating alone. Why don't you set it out on the table, Kuragari-san?" The girl nodded. "Takeuchi-kun, close the door and come in now."

"Uh, h-hai, Unohana-taichou." He shut the door. Behind Unohana, Amaya stuck her tongue out at him and mouthed the word. "pervert."