Adult-FanFiction.org : Bleach

Romance and Rivalries	By : Kinnikuman Category: Bleach > AU - Alternate Universe Views: 2658 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Neither author owns or holds any rights to "Bleach". No profit is made from this fanfiction.

Chapter List
- 23
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- 25
Chapter Twenty-Four
By Ray
It had been so sudden… and so very… scary. He received a phone call, Aizen-sama telling him his time at Arrancar was over. Ordinarily he’d argue, but the tone of his now ex-boss’s voice almost made him want to wet himself. He was told the reason for his expulsion from the company was due to sexual harassment, sexual activity whilst being on duty…
Naturally he’d attempted to explain that it could hardly be unreasonable if the sexual activity was with his own beloved Shinji Hirako (despite the fact the bastard hadn’t been returning his calls) – and Aizen-sama had said, in the scariest of tones: “Yes, I’m afraid there’s another problem with your being in my staff, Luppi-san: your unnerving ability to mix reality with fantasy. Shinji Hirako is my lover. I advise you to be out of your Arrancar owned housing by tonight, Trepadora-san.”
It was the way Aizen-sama said it that made him believe anything Luppi tried to respond with would be crushed like a great arm wrenching through and smashing through his body… He’d only ever heard his former boss talk to a few people that way, with that terrifying under-lining threat. So he didn’t go to work, he spent the day packing his things… Damn, he should’ve known it was taking a risk a little, letting his company provide an apartment… Right now, he was at his complete low… if he hadn’t loaded himself up on Prozac, then he’d most likely be sobbing in a ditch somewhere at his hideous situation…
Yet here he was, having taken way too much Prozac, a bloody piece of cotton in each nostril, some bruising around his left eye… stood outside the front door of Grimmjow’s apartment. Over his shoulder he had a bulging rucksack; in his hand he held a full suitcase and a few other bags in his other hand. He was completely exhausted, positive he was walking funny after what happened at Nnoitra’s.
The door was opened by a rather surprised looking Grimmjow, he looked like he hadn’t long been out of bed – probably been taking it easy since that nice deal he’d scored… His expression hardened as he saw Luppi, cautiously glancing over the bags and battered face.
“What the hell’re you doing here?”
Luppi pouted, “I need a place to stay.”
“And the first place you chose to come to was mine? You really need to make some friends,” he went to close the door, his eyebrows knitted together slightly, “Get out of here, Luppi.”
Well, you could be rejected in so many ways…
Gin-san had managed to out-fox him yet again… He’d turned up at his first and the silver haired man went on and on about how small the apartment was, and how his boyfriend was the jealous type and it’d really upset him if he was staying in such close quarters with a guy like Luppi. In a few minutes he had Luppi feeling so sorry for him that he didn’t even bring push to shove over staying with Gin-san. However, he did make the point of saying he had ‘tried t’ talk Aizen-sama out of his decision’. Luppi guessed Aizen-sama must really like Shinji Hirako if he was willing to disregard even Gin’s feelings over it…
His next step was to turn up at Nnoitra’s… quickly this turned out to be a really bad idea. The tall brunette had apparently been entertaining Szayel – the pink haired man had heard Luppi’s voice and stormed off, saying he’d better ‘Leave the pair of them alone.’ Nnoitra had gone after him, attempting and failed rather quickly to stop him from getting in his car and driving off… Luppi had said awkwardly, “So… I kind of need a place to stay.”
He hadn’t expected him to go flying off the handle. He’d punched him in the nose… (Luppi felt lucky the ex-cage fighter hadn’t broken his nose) and thrown him out of his apartment – he was very lucky to have landed on his ruck sack and even luckier that Nnoitra hadn’t followed through with his threat of ‘getting his fucking gun’.
After taking a quick detour to the hospital, he’d walked to Grimmjow’s… really hoping he could play on the blue haired man’s increasingly more consistent conscience to earn him a place to stay… Not to mention the overall perks of living with Grimmjow… i.e. the fact he often got too hot in the night and slept butt-naked, or the fact that, even with his clothes on, he was gorgeous, he had to arms of an athlete and the legs of a dancer. He really-really-really-really hoped that a few stupid little things… like Luppi being obsessed with him, and the whole vibrator incident… or how he’d tried to come onto him on numerous occasions since Grimmjow started seeing the high school student… not to mention the fact he’d tried to have Grimmjow in trouble for seeing the high school student – anyway, he was hoping maybe Grimmjow would be the better of the two of them, and take pity on a homeless man.
“I got kicked out of my apartment… and I don’t have any relatives in the city,” he bit his lower lip, “Please, Grimmjow? Just while I look for another job, I’ll be a good room-mate. I’ll make you breakfast? Remember how I used to make you toasties and juice?”
Grimmjow’s brow furrowed deeper, he looked sufficiently irritated, “Luppi, you put date-rape drugs in my orange juice.”
“That’s all in the past, isn’t it?” he fiddled with a lock of his hair, “Please? I have nowhere else to go. I know it’s not convenient, but can’t you just let me stay a few days for old time’s sake?”
He looked as though he was thinking it through… then he shook his head firmly, “Ichigo wouldn’t like you staying here, and I’m don’t either. What did you expect? What happened at your place anyway? Did you start stalking the landlord?” He asked sarcastically, raising a mocking eyebrow.
“I lost my job… and Aizen wanted me out by five.”
Grimmjow winced now… he got a nasty feeling that the kidnapping of Shinji Hirako… may have had something to do with Luppi’s dismissal from Arrancar within a few hours. He brushed his hair out of his face, shifting a little. Geez, the creepy little shit really did have nowhere to go. Still… that didn’t change the fact Luppi would most likely sneak into Grimmjow’s room at night and rape him, or lounge around the house in his underwear when Ichigo was due to come over… Ignoring all of that, Grimmjow sure as hell didn’t want Luppi living with him, or hanging around when Ichigo was over.
“Erm… stay there, Luppi.”
This was the thing about being in a relationship – hell Ichigo hadn’t even moved in yet, and Grimmjow already had to think about the apartment for two people. He couldn’t very well just close to door and tell Luppi to find a nice alleyway to sleep in like Nnoitra had – still, Luppi hadn’t ruined his relationship to anything near the quantity it had Nnoitra’s… (Rumour has it, Szayel had a nervous breakdown shortly after it happened, and upped his dosage of every vitamin and form of medication he was taking) and it didn’t take a genius to see Nnoitra and Szayel were barely speaking to each other. Still, he wasn’t about to invite his crazy ex to live with him… experience spoke one hell of a lot louder than his conscience.
Grimmjow rolled his eyes, groaning a little as he took out his cell phone, punching in Ichigo’s number, and waiting for his lover to answer.
“Hello?”
“Ichigo, hey, it’s me,” he brushed his hair out of his face irritably, “Listen… I’m having kind of an unfortunate morning.”
“I’m sort of busy at the moment,” Ichigo sighed. “I’m at Vizard with Shinji; he said he got kidnapped this morning by your fucking boss.”
Grimmjow groaned inside… praying he didn’t sound nervous as he added, “Shit, really? Is he okay?” He wouldn’t pretend to be shocked at the prospect of Aizen kidnapping someone – it was well known knowledge that you weren’t to mess with the CEO of Arrancar.
“Yeah, he’s just shaken up… I’ll tell you about it later…” he lowered his voice, sounding a little concerned, “So, what’s wrong?”
“Luppi got fired this morning.”
“Oh wow, what did he do?” Ichigo’s tone was sarcastic, bitter… Grimmjow didn’t blame him for it.
“I dunno,” he leant against his wall, watching the silhouette of Luppi at his front door; the man had sat down on the doorstep, browsing through his bag for something. “But he had a company apartment, so he’s been kicked out of his home.”
Ichigo grimaced, “Is he trying to get you to let him stay at yours?”
“Yeah,” he breathed, “He’s at the front door now. He’s all beat up because he went to Nnoitra’s first. He’s got no family in town, Ichi… I’m kind of… I don’t want him living here, but I don’t like the idea of turning him onto the streets…” He was irritated, not wanting to give a shit about Luppi on his doorstep… but he was trying to make something of himself now, he couldn’t be young and reckless and cruel… He had to give a shit.
The orange haired boy was quiet for a moment, like he was thinking hard, then he sighed, “I’ll be over in a minute, Grimmjow. He’s not staying with you… but maybe we can find somewhere else he can go? I mean… surely he has savings, right? Maybe a hotel or… To be honest, I’d even ask Dad if he could stay at ours for a few days,” he sounded irritated, brushing his hair out of his face.
Grimmjow had to smile a little to himself… there was something adorable about how over-protective Ichigo could be. He chuckled lightly, “We’ll try and think of something together… we’ll sort this, okay?” he turned his back to the door, lowering his voice, “Are we still… on for tomorrow night? You stay over here – myself at your service… all night long?” He was excited about it, their ‘date’ – something Ichigo had agreed too after the whole Renji beating fiasco… Ichigo was someone he was more than willing to serve as a willing slave.
“Yeah, I’ll be ten minutes, I promise.”
Ichigo Kurosaki sighed as he pocketed his phone, glancing over his shoulder at the door to Shinji’s office. He was waiting for the blonde to come back from getting himself coffee. He rubbed his temples, what the hell had happened for Aizen to just throw Luppi out of Arrancar? Not that he cared about Luppi – but it was a bit of a leap even for someone as sadistic as Aizen.
This couldn’t really have come at a worse day – Shinji was shaken up and angry over being kidnapped… he’d sort of had plans to stay with him today… even if Shinji seemed a little sketchy on the details… he looked a little embarrassed when anyone bought Aizen up.
He opened the door to the office, spotting Shinji by the coffee machine, talking quite animatedly to Hiyori. The two of them were crazy together, not like two tax-paying adults at all… more like two very immature children. Ichigo sighed to himself, glancing around the corridors of Vizard, very briefly, catching sight of Kensei and Hisagi-san in the photocopying room. They looked like they were talking quietly, he saw Kensei’s hand rise to hold onto Hisagi-san’s shoulder, the younger man brushed it off, holding his work to his chest as he turned towards the door.
“Shuhei –” He heard the older man call as Hisagi-san walked through the door and began to walk faster towards the newspaper offices. Ichigo felt a swell of pity for Kensei as he watched his hand fall loosely by his side as his ex lover walked away.
Ichigo had tried to ask Shinji what had gone on with Kensei and Shuhei, but all of the Vizards seemed to have their own opinions – not to mention, something about taking bets too. He didn’t quite like the sound of it… they were the worst adults he’d ever met.
“Hey, Ichigo, where are ya goin’?” Shinji began to walk over to him, turning his back on a rather out-raged looking Hiyori.
“Grimmjow emergency,” he sighed. “Apparently Aizen not only kidnapped you, but he fired Luppi Trepadora this morning…” he brushed his hair out of his face, irritation evident in his voice, “Luppi’s at Grimmjow’s now looking for a place to stay…”
Something flashed across Shinji’s face, something like… guilt… Did he have something to do with…? “He’s homeless?” he asked quietly. “Was he living in company accommodation?”
“Apparently so,” Ichigo brushed back his hair. “He lost everything. Grimmjow doesn’t want him staying with him… but he can’t exactly send them out onto the streets…”
Hiyori was suddenly at Shinji’s side, “Wait – wait – wait,” she grabbed Shinji’s arm and jerked him off into the corner of the room. Ichigo took a step forward to follow them, when the older woman raised a hand for him to stay where he was.
“Excuse us, Ichigo. One minute,” she jerked Shinji against the wall, before yanking him down to her height by the scruff of his shirt, the two of them whispering and hissing at each other frantically and angrily. He couldn’t quite catch onto what they were saying… but he heard the odd whisper that sounded sort of like:
“– Because of you - !”
“He wouldn’t let me leave!”
“– Take responsibility-!”
“Hiyori!”
Then silence for a few moments, the two of them locked in a long staring contest. And then, Shinji turned his gaze away, letting out a soft sigh, he swallowed and gave the younger woman a stiff nod.
Ichigo was half wondering what in the name of hell was going on, when the Vizards began walking back towards him. Hiyori had a firm grin on her face, “Hey,” she said, offering Ichigo a hand, “I’m coming with ya t’ Grimmjow’s. On behalf o’ Vizard, I’m givin’ Luppi Trepa…Trepadora, was it?” she straightened up, “Anyway, I’m givin’ him a job in Shinji’s department.”
He really, really wasn’t expecting that.
**
The experience of being at one office in the morning clearing out your desk, then in another accepting a job by two o’clock in the afternoon was completely surreal, if not a little other worldly.
Luppi had been sitting at Grimmjow’s dinner table, helping himself to last night’s dinner and a glass of sake, attempting to make conversation with his ex lover, who seemed quite anxious. Ichigo Kurosaki had arrived – Luppi had noticed how he checked Grimmjow quickly (pfft, like he’d do anything to him…), before leading a small girl into the house.
On first glance, she looked like a girl in her early teens, he’d thought, perhaps a friend of Kurosaki-kun’s from school… but then he saw her close up – sharp gaze, blonde, steely masculine mannerisms – it was Sarugaki Hiyori from Vizard. She’d walked right up to him, offering him a hand, “Luppi Trepadora?”
“Yes?”
“I’m Sarugaki Hiyori from Vizard. I understand ya lost yer last job from the stupidity of my colleague, Hirako Shinji?”
“I… guess so, yes.”
Sarugaki-san did not seem like the kind of person you could explain things too. Her tone of voice made it clear that she had a one track mind and didn’t take bullshit well at all. The kind of boss who most likely had a batch and terrified drones following her around… During his internet stalking of Shinji, he’d seen plenty of pictures of the two of them together, including one unusual photograph of her hitting Shinji with one of her sandals at an exclusive party.
“Well I’m here t’ offer ya a job,” she folded her arms across her chest, “I did a back-ground check the way here… yer law degree was impressive, an’ one of my colleagues would be happy t’ offer ya a job as a personal assistant.”
It was a tad shell-shocking – was this… compensation? Still, you’d be insane to throw away a job at Vizard (the Vizards were brilliant, though he’d heard rumours that their eccentricity made life difficult for their underlings), particularly considering he wasn’t exactly in any position to refuse – not to mention Aizen-sama had given him the impression Luppi would have one hell of a time getting hired by any well off law firm.
“R-Really – you aren’t… thank-you, it would be an honour.”
“Good, get yer bag,” she said, glancing at her watch, “I got papers to be finishin’ – an’ I need t’ get ya set up in company accommodation. Not t’ worry, our apartments are way better than Arrancar’s,” she already turned her back and started walking towards the door, gesturing for Luppi to leave swiftly.
Luppi glanced at Grimmjow and Ichigo – just to make sure they all saw and heard the same thing – otherwise he’d begin to feel dreadfully afraid that he’d lost his mind or suffered a nervous breakdown. Ichigo looked fairly confident, if not a little confused, Grimmjow kept glancing from his boyfriend to Hiyori – clearly this was unexpected to him as well.
“Erm, thanks for the sake,” Luppi said nervously, picking up his bags and beginning to head off to the door.
Sarugaki-san held back a little, addressing Grimmjow as Luppi’s bags were taken by a blonde man with wavy hair whom he also recognized as one of the Vizards. He overheard his new employer say: “And you tell yer boss that if he tries any of the shit he pulled this mornin’, he can expect a taste of his own medicine – so he should increase security on his house in advance.” Then she closed the door and hopped into the driver’s seat.
That had been an hour ago, right now he was sat before the desk of Lisa Yadomaru, feeling a little nervous. She was an incredibly beautiful woman, considering her age, dressed in what appeared to be a school uniform, with her long slender legs up on her desk, deeply engrossed in a lingerie magazine. He knew she was in charge of underwear catalogues and erotic magazines for men and women here at Vizard; her office was decorated with an unsettling mix of sexy photos and nice memorable ones.
“So, I’ve always wanted a personal assistant,” she said after a few moments of silence, “I have questions for you.”
He nodded his head, waiting a little patiently.
“I used to be a PA, you see… so I’m an expert on what makes a good one. First question, what is your sexual preference?”
What the hell kind of a question was that?
“I… like men.”
“Good, good,” she was moving a pencil, though it was really embarrassingly obvious she wasn’t writing anything down. “Next question, do you always dress like that?”
“Like what?”
“Do you always dress like that? I’m asking the questions here, Trepadora-san.”
He glanced down at himself… denim shorts, baggy t-shirt, tight leather jacket… boots… Yes, he normally dressed like that… he did have a nicer work get-up, which consisted of really tight black pants and white shirt and a tie – though in all honesty, he’d only ever worn that when he was trying to seduce Grimmjow… other than that, he only wore those clothes to court.
“Yes, I do most of the time. I have smarter clothes if you’re serious about the dress code here.”
She didn’t answer him, “Question three, how old are you?”
“I’m twenty-six.”
He hated being asked that question… particularly as he would often change how old he was depending whom he was trying to seduce. It wasn’t like he couldn’t pass for a fifteen-year-old boy if he wanted too and a very young looking thirty when he was attempting to come onto a business partner of Aizen-sama’s.
“Do you have any illnesses?”
“No, I’m very healthy.”
“Do you have any STD’s?”
What the hell kind of question – again?!
“No, I do not.” At least as far as he knew, he’d had plenty of scares – particularly after the whole Szayel voodoo incident. He’d been so sure he’d developed some form of herpes that he insisted Nnoitra came for a check-up with him. Crabs came and went every other year; it was just a part of life now.
“Out of the following recreational activities, which do you find most enjoyable: Painting pictures of nature, ice hockey, or making small and efficient models of trains from the 19^th century leading up to modern day?”
Now he was almost positive she was making fun of him.
“I really don’t see why half of this stuff is relevant-!”
“You look like a painting man to me,” she ticked something on her piece of paper, “Alright. I just have one more question; there is a point to all of this, Trepadora-san.”
“Yes…”
“So here’s the question: do you find it easy to get up early in the morning?”
“Yes.”
She beamed, offering him a hand, putting her legs down and grinning, “Then I’m happy to offer you a position as my assistant. There are, a few conditions, but I’m sure you’re in no place to refuse them.”
Luppi nodded gently, “Okay?”
“You have to wear a suit and waistcoat to work every day – like a butler. If you don’t have a waistcoat or appropriate suit, I shall have someone take you to Rose and Mashiro and they will give you something to my tastes. Any office romances you find yourself involved in, I want to know first. Although there are eight bosses, you report to me over the others. My department, I own you.” She had a slow, serious way of speaking, one that made you feel you had to do as she said… “You have to get me coffee every morning, and not too cold either, before I arrive. Sometimes I like back-rubs in the mid-afternoon – Last of all, I hope you enjoy your time working for Vizard.”
He was supposed to wear a butler uniform? He was beginning to wonder what he’d gotten himself in for… Suddenly Luppi realized he was being expected to turn into a better paid version of Tesla – Nnoitra’s pretty boy assistant. That man was of a rare breed indeed… unwaveringly loyal, smart and efficient enough to be compared to the special agents of the government. Luppi had tried to seduce him once – of course that was before he realized Tesla hated his guts (something to do with his ‘damaging Nnoitra-sama’s one chance at true happiness)…
“I have a waistcoat and suit.”
“Excellent. You can start tomorrow. Get out of my office.”

**
It felt… surreal in its own way. To have to come to grips with the fact that your life will end before it should, to have to live and love each day as the ‘big day’ gets closer and close. You make all the plans, get your heart and soul ready to embrace death… you worry for all those you leave behind, and prepare yourself to lose them. You feel fear of death for the last time as you accept your fate and can hope for the best.
Only to have someone tell you they can save you.
The procedure was… experimental. When Kisuke said there was a possibility of curing him, his mind trekked back – years back as he remembered Shunsui’s hand in his, as the mask went over his nose and mouth. He could recall himself moving, he hearing his lover’s footsteps, breaking into a small run to keep with them as they wheeled Jushiro towards the operating room. His worries began to fade as the drugs seeped into his system like a dream consumes the mind…
There was nothing more disappointing than waking up; dealing with the side-effects of being operated on… and being told nothing had changed.
Kisuke’s procedure was nothing of the sort. The younger man came to the house with his box. The drugs for his procedure were all in there; it was a series of injections. He was lacking his usual playful temperament, his voice serious.
The side effects would make him weak and put out… he lost consciousness. After that, he remained bed-ridden. His body was weak, but Shunsui kept assuring him the procedure had been a success so far.
In the early days after he was first given the drugs, when he slept it felt like he slept for hundreds of years.
When he dreamt, he’d often think about the past… the days he didn’t know he was sick, he’d play in his garden with his brothers and sisters, he’d run and practice kendo – because his parents weren’t afraid of such activities worsening his condition. His friendship with Shunsui, their teenage years together… their first kiss; lying together on a field near Jushiro’s home, underneath the stars.
These memories were enough to help him gather his strength.
One day he awoke, and his body felt… lighter, his breathing coming easy… it didn’t seem like there was any sort of swell in his body, there was no pain. His voice was hoarse as he called out for Shunsui. His body felt weak, but he didn’t care as he put his arms around his lover and held him properly for what felt like the first time in ages.
Jushiro knew he was out of death’s shadow and was now bathed in the fierce white light of life.
However, getting back on that bandwagon wasn’t at all an easy thing. Kisuke came over a lot; just to monitor him, make sure everything was getting back on track. It was, and Jushiro couldn’t hide the intensity of his happiness that he was, for the first time in his life, a healthy man. He could kiss his lover without being ashamed of his bloody lips. He could make love as passionately or intensely as he wanted – though, and he’d blush as he thought it, his enthusiasm may have surprised Shunsui a great deal. It was so strange to come to terms with not being careful with so many things, with his energy back, he could go for jogs in the afternoon, and he’d visited Sentaro and Kiyone.
Sure, it was cliché to say aloud, but his recovery was giving him a new perspective on life. He wanted to live, he wanted to experience it, he wanted to grow old with Shunsui… he wanted to go back to work, doing the job he’d so missed and loved.
Jushiro was stood in his garden, tending to the plants; he was taking in the scent of the flowers, the trees… gasping a little as he felt firm arms around his waist, drawing him in to Shunsui’s embrace. He chuckled lightly, turning his head to look at him, “Hello, love,” he smiled softly.
“I missed you,” Shunsui sighed gently, tightening his arms around him before letting go and taking a seat on the bench beside the sakura tree. “I see you’re back tending to the garden,” he glanced around, “I think it was waiting for you, while you were recovering. The sakura blossoms have never looked so lively.”
“Now you’re just trying to flatter me,” he put down the watering can and took a seat beside his lover, smiling affectionately at him. Jushiro reached forwards and softly brushed a lock of Shunsui’s dark hair behind his ear. “So, where have you been this morning?”
He grinned childishly, “Did you miss me?” he laughed, leaning in to kiss him tenderly on the cheek, “I took a trip to Yoruichi’s. She was keen to hear how you’re doing,” the dark haired man draped an arm around his lover’s waist, stroking the soft material of his shirt; “She’d like to throw you a party once you’re ready for one.”
Jushiro smiled, “Oh, really? You know, it doesn’t seem like five minutes ago that her parties all involved bouncy castles,” he chuckled, leaning against Shunsui’s shoulder, tilting his head, “I will call her tonight. It’s such a kind offer, and it would be nice to see everyone. I intend to visit Toshiro-kun this week, he has exams coming soon and I’d like to wish him good luck.”
Shunsui leant back, rolling his eyes and glancing up at the clear blue sky above them, taking in Jushiro’s smell. For the first time in a long time, he didn’t feel scared to hold his lover… there was nothing fleeting in their embrace. “Just do whatever you want to do now, love,” he whispered softly, “Now is your time.”
When they were young, Jushiro would get… protective of Shunsui’s flirting. Of course he knew his lover well enough to say his flirtatious behaviour towards women would stay only as that… but it still made him jealous – prone to push Shunsui onto the sofa and demand they made love right here and now… once they were alone (This had lead him to believe that perhaps Shunsui did it on purpose to get that reaction). As his condition worsened and Jushiro and those around him realized Shunsui was a ‘keeper’ – not about to ‘let any force on earth stop him’ as Isshin Kurosaki once put it… Jushiro was terrified at the prospect of not only dying, but of Shunsui spending his remaining years grieving… alone…
It scared him to think he’d leave the man he loved to such a fate – so he’d encouraged the flirting. He’d roll his eyes when Shunsui’s dark eyes would follow the dipping line of Matsumoto-san’s cleavage… Or another example; Shunsui’s 40^th birthday, Lisa-san had used her influence in publishing to get them both tickets to a Playboy Mansion party. Back then he’d wanted to let Shunsui fly as free as he wanted too, it would be cruel to keep him near and beside him all the time… but now he was healthy, it made Jushiro wondered if he’d still be lenient like that with Shunsui’s flirting and play-groping.
Kisuke had told him that he’d have to learn to be a healthy man again. Jushiro was keen to do so… the Principal had seemed keen on inviting him back to teach and Ichimaru-Sensei had already kindly given him some of his student’s work to mark, in order to ‘get ya back in the swing o’ things’… That was so like Gin.
It felt strange to think of Ichimaru Gin as a teacher, Jushiro still remembered him as the grinning child sat with Aizen Sosuke, who’d been Hirako Shinji’s assistant at the time. There had been a gathering for Yama-Jii’s birthday, it was way out in Kyoto and ended quite late in the evening. Shunsui had whined all the way home for food so they had stopped in a McDonalds at the gas station. It was a funny sort of scene, Jushiro had returned with a strong coffee to see his lover eagerly chatting to Gin-kun; Sosuke Aizen was marking essays in place of Shinji, who was doing the puzzle on the side of Gin’s happy meal box.
“Pass me the crayons.”
Gin had looked away from Shunsui, passing over the box of wax crayons, raising an eyebrow, “Ain’t those puzzles for little kids?”
“Ain’t happy meals for little kids, Creepy-Face?”
He remembered feeling a little horrified that Shinji would call Gin ‘Creepy Face’, he wouldn’t pretend Gin’s smile was a little… unnerving – but as a child he’d been a sweet, curious boy, who’d clearly had a rough upbringing, he was a little worried that Shinji was being tactless with such a young fragile boy. Aizen quickly explained that ‘Creepy Face’ was just Shinji’s nickname for Gin, some sort of payback for Gin calling him ‘Big Teeth’ or ‘Bad Boss’.
It was probably yet another sign he was getting old – to him, it felt like two years since Ichimaru Gin was a young boy of twelve and before he’d left teaching, they’d worked at the same school.
It’s funny how life works out sometimes…
When he was sick nobody his own age had died around him. He’d lost his parents when he was in his early twenties, but there was nothing like seeing someone younger than you waste away and die. Byakuya Kuchiki’s dear wife suffered a similar disease as him. She was a weak, slender woman; they had talked nearly every day. Jushiro remembered her telling him how she’d wanted to have children when she was young – how happy she was that Byakuya accepted and loved her despite the fact she could never give him a baby. He had been very sad indeed when her room at the hospital became empty.
Around the days he thought his time on this earth would end soon, he thought of Kaien. He thought of his old friend’s smile, his ability to draw others to him with his inner light. How sad it was, that such a wonderful, proud young man would live to lose a wife and die doing the right thing.
It was one of the few positives death would offer him. In death, perhaps he’d meet them again.
“Jushiro, you’re drifting,” Shunsui whispered softly, “Is it too hot out here?”
“No, it’s lovely,” he kissed him lightly on the lips, “I was miles away,” Jushiro laughed, then softened his eyes as he saw a small figure stood by the back gate. A fond smile covered his features as his gaze fell upon Toshiro Hitsugaya. “Toshiro-kun, what a wonderful surprise!” he cried happily.
The eleven-year-old went a little pink, shuffling his feet, “The back gate was unlocked,” he started to walk over; he was trying to look stern, serious… as always, though there was excitement in his face. “Kyoraku-san said you were feeling up to visitors?”
Jushiro chuckled, patting the bench next to him, “I am always up to seeing you, Toshiro-kun. How are your studies going?”
He sat down, “They’re going fine. Mo – Hinamori has been a great help.”
He smiled gently at the younger boy, it had been too long and he really had missed little Toshiro-kun. The boy was a genius and so keen to grow up, he was one of those pupils a teacher feels blessed to have been able to teach. As Jushiro listened to Toshiro-kun awkwardly talk about his current studies and various social aspects of his life, and he half watched Shunsui wave at him as he headed back into the house, most likely to fetch candy; he couldn’t help but think to himself that he may not have lived to see this quiet, peaceful moment.
The future was nothing to be afraid of, Jushiro would just enjoy every moment as it passed.
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Romance and Rivalries