Adult-FanFiction.org : Bleach

Prize of Victory	By : NovaAlexandria Category: Bleach > Het - Male/Female Views: 87207 -:- Recommendations : 8 -:- Currently Reading : 8
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach nor make profit from this snippet

Chapter List
- 29
- 30
- 31
Remember: double post, go back and read if you need to.
Warnings: None
She didn’t stop running until she was back at the Estate, bolting up one of the trees to sit on the branches. Her stomach was fluttering a mile a minute and she couldn’t tell if it was from fear, anxiety, the baby or a combination of the above.
She rested her hand on her stomach, and felt the flutters start to ease slightly as she let her reiatsu run over the budding one in her tummy to calm it.
“There there, it’s alright.” She whispered. “Everything will be alright. Mommy’s okay, a little upset but okay.” She murmured. “I am here. I am not going anywhere. Calm down.” She whispered more to herself than her baby.
The flutters died down a bit.
“As much as I would like to just go back to sleep, regrettably, duty requires me to ask what is going on?”
Karin stiffened in surprise as she looked down the tree to see Starrk resting at the bottom. In her haste to escape she hadn’t noticed the tree she had chosen to hide in had been the one he had chosen to sleep under that day.
She didn’t answer as the events came rushing back to her, and she felt the first tears start to leak despite her desperate attempts to hold them in. She had vowed never to cry again after her mother died, to never be a burden on anyone.
No matter how hard she tried, she felt them start to leak.
“I won’t cry. I won’t cry. I am stronger than this. I won‘t cry.” She chanted to herself even as she felt her resolve weaken.

When Karin didn’t answer, Starrk groaned to himself and dragged his lazy ass up to join her in the tree. He regretted it the moment he noticed she was about to have a mental breakdown. He did not handle crying women at all.
“Are you okay?” He asked hesitantly.
Her tear-filled gaze rose to meet his and that certainly answered his question. Something had definitely happened and he quickly scanned for his other half and Hana. He found them both in their way to the fifth.
Lilinette’s reiatsu was calm but did display some distress while Hana’s was almost catatonic. It seemed the woman, Tatsuki, was also with them. He couldn’t find Yuzu’s at all and judging by the flare ups from Ulquiorra, Orihime’s reiatsu was probably buried beneath the Fourth’s, in more ways than one.
“What happened?” He asked firmly, all pretences of laziness now gone.
“He came. After six years he just showed up out of no where.” Karin answered with a bit of a hiccup.
Starrk frowned.
“Kurosaki Ichigo?” He guessed correctly.
It would definitely explain the flare ups of reiatsu from both Grimmjow and Ulquiorra. Both Espada had bones to pick with the human hybrid.
She nodded her head and her shoulders started shaking. She was about to have a full melt down and he was defiantly not the one that should be handling something like this. He felt panic well up as he realized there was no one else here to deal with her.
“Okay, umm.” He ran a hand through his hair nervously.
What was one was suppose to do with a distraught, pregnant teenager going through an emotional crisis? He reached a hand out to pat her shoulder awkwardly. Her shoulders heaved more and her hands dug into the bark of the tree. He jumped away from her in surprise.
“Karin-chan?” A voice from heaven ironically called from the ground.
When Karin didn’t answer Ukitake appeared in the tree next to them, looking at Starrk questionably.
“I’ll just leave this in your capably hands.” Starrk was quick to excuse himself.
Ukitake moved over to take Starrk’s place while the 1st dropped down from the tree, disappearing into a Sonido the moment his feet touched the ground to escape before he could be dragged back in. Besides, Lilinette would be able to fill him in on what happened without all the blubbering and sobbing.

Like Starrk, Ukitake had felt the flare ups and recognized who they belonged to. Leaving the division in the care of his Fukutaichou, he instantly sought out the reiatsu of the girls since he knew they were in that area.
Lilinette, Hana and Tatsuki were on their way safely to the 5th and Hana’s mother. Orihime’s was barely distinguishable under Ulquiorra’s, and Karin’s was at the estate radiating so much grief it had nearly ripped his heart out.
He couldn’t find Yuzu’s at all and he felt terror at the thought that somehow Karin’s twin sister had been killed, for that would definitely explain the large amount of anguish coming from the teenage girl and the absence of Yuzu‘s reiatsu.
He raced to the Estate and found Karin in a tree with a very uncomfortable looking Starrk. The Espada was quick to make his escape and Ukitake didn’t blame him. Dealing with intense, emotional situations, especially ones of a teenage girl variety, was not up any Hollow’s alley, regardless of their evolutionary state.
“Karin?” Ukitake moved up into the tree and rested a hand gently on her shoulder.
She looked up at him shortly before throwing herself into his arms and sobbing brokenly. He could hardly make out a word she was saying as she started babbling about her brother and how she had deliberately hurt him to get rid of him.
He held her, rubbing her back and making soothing noises as she shook in his arms and soaked the front of his uniform with her tears. After about ten minutes she started to calm down and her heart wrenching sobs turned into sniffs.
“Thank you.” She whispered, sitting back and rubbing her eyes. “I haven’t cried like that since the day my mother died.” She admitted.
“What happened?” He asked softly, brushing a lock of her hair behind one ear as she looked up at him.
“Ichigo showed up. He said he was here to save us. It’s a little late now, at least for me. The living world frowns down upon those who are uneducated and after missing six out of twelve years of school, and other things, there is no way I could ever hope to create a life outside of being a house wife and living on another’s charity. No one would hire a ‘drop out’ for even the lowliest of jobs.
“Yuzu would be happy being a house wife, it’s kind of been her dream, but not me. There is nothing for me in the living world anymore. So I told Ichigo to just leave and never come back. That I didn’t want nor need him.” Her voice quivered.
“Karin.” He said sadly, and just held her again while she shuddered, but retained enough control to not break down again. “Yuzu?” He asked worriedly.
“I sent her with him. There is no life for her here, and let’s face it, I’ll probably see her in forty years or so. All going to the living world at this point would do would be to delay the inevitable.” She pointed out, regaining more of her composure.
She pulled out of his grasp completely and they sat in the tree facing each other. The pain in her eyes still spoke volumes, but she was completely calmed down once more.
“Even if there had been hope for me in the Living Realm, I would still not be able to leave so easily.” She said with a sad smile, resting a hand on her stomach.
She grabbed the branch they were sitting on and swung down from the tree, landing easily on the ground with a flip.
“Thank you, Ukitake-san. I needed that cry. I have been holding my tears in for so long now that it feels nice to have finally let them out.”
“What are you going to do now?” He asked worriedly, concerned she might do something drastic like try to end her life.
Once more her hand rested on her stomach.
“I have given up my entire family. So the only thing left to do now is to start all over with my new family. I grew up without a Mother, so I know what it is like to have only a single parent.
“I will NOT deny my child it’s father if I can help it.” She answered firmly as she straightened her posture. “Us Kurosaki’s are survivors. Always have been. Always will be. When we face a challenge we rise to meet it head on.” She offered him a sad smile and walked off, back straight and eyes forward.
Ukitake stared after her in shock. Her words could only have one meaning and Aizen’s interest in her suddenly became very clear. She was pregnant. No doubt with Grimmjow’s child.
“Oh Karin-chan.” He sighed sadly for the teenager.

Grimmjow could feel the anguish radiating through their link, and it caused him pain unlike anything he had ever felt before; except for perhaps that one moment when she had looked at her brother. He had been so happy to finally fight with Kurosaki again that he hadn’t even thought about what the man’s presence might implicate.
He had felt fear when those dumb ass Arrancar had tried to Claim her, but the feeling he had felt when he realized Karin might go with Kurosaki, that he would lose both her and his unborn child, was of the deepest terror he had ever felt.
But, she had turned her back on her own brother and chosen him. He had been so shocked that he hadn’t even been able to react until after the intruders had already disappeared in a flash of light.
The fact Yuzu was gone didn’t really affect him much. He’d had little interest in her other than her initial potential as bait. But Karin’s pain, and his Child’s. The baby was developed enough now to notice it’s mothers distress, and he could feel his Child’s pain. He wanted to assure it that all would be well, but then Karin had slapped his arms away and ran.
How he wanted to chase after her, but Tatsuki’s words held wisdom. Some battles could only be fought alone and without swords. He was definitely not good with the ‘not swords’ kind. So while it pained him greatly to lay in their room after having taken a shower, treat the numerous injuries Kurosaki had left behind and wait for her to calm down, that was exactly what he did.
He was so lost in his musing that he failed to notice she had arrived at their room until he heard the door clack shut. He jerked in surprise and his eyes darted immediately to her, studying her.
Her hair was slightly damp, clearly from taking a shower, and she was wearing a simple navy-blue yukata. Her eyes still looked a little puffy, but otherwise she seemed to be alright, although there was still pain radiating from her reiatsu.
He had no idea what to say, so they stared at each other in silence.
“You chose to stay.” He finally spoke, breaking the uncomfortable silence after five minutes of just staring at each other.
“I have no life in the Living World.” She answered and finally moved to close the distance between them.
He felt himself stiffen slightly.
“Is that the only reason you stayed?” He asked softly, his expression falling and his chest clenching.
“No.”
His gaze shot back up to her as she kneeled before him on the futon.
“I stayed because WE have a child to raise. My own Mother was murdered when I was very young, and though my Father tried his best to raise us alone, I know the pain of being raised by a single parent. I do not want that for our baby.” She answered sadly.
He knew there were other reasons, she had given them to her brother during the argument, but the ones she had just given him where definitely the ones he wanted to hear.
“I will always be here.” He promised, a hand reaching out to touch her stomach.
He sent a small pulse of reiatsu and was pleased when the baby responded. A slight smile touched Karin’s eyes and tugged lightly at the corner of her lips. He froze when he felt a small physical flutter against his palm.
Both of them stared at each other in wonderment and enjoyed a moment of companionably silence.
“There is one thing I was kind of hoping.” She suddenly blushed softly.
“What?” He asked.
He would give her anything she desired right now. She who had abandoned her own kin for him and the family they were about to start. She who bore his child.
“Your transformation.”
“You mean my resurreccion?” He asked confused, wondering what his transformation had to do with anything.
“Yeah. Could….. I see it?” She asked nervously.
He smirked and drew his blade.
“Kishire, Pantera.” He declared, running his hand down the blade.
When the change finished she sat before him and he felt his male pride swelling as she stared at him in clear awe.
“So….” She didn’t finish.
“Deadly? Amazing? Bad Ass?” He suggested helpfully.
“Kawaii!” She exclaimed, and before he could even registered it her fingers were buried in the soft fur of his ears, rubbing them gently. “They are so soft.” She declared excitedly.
He stared at her stunned.
“I am not cute.” He snapped once he got over his shock.
He couldn’t bring himself to pull his head away from her grasp though, and if she would just lower her hands a little to the… ah yeah. That was the spot. He felt his eyes slide shut as she continued to rub him behind the ears.
“Definitely a spoiled house cat.” She smirked.
“Am not.” He murmured.
She removed her hands and he looked up at her, trying to hide his disappointment. She shifted more onto the futon and patted her lap. Growling, for he was not some trained animal, he glared at her.
One of her hands snaked out and was once more latched onto an ear. Before he even knew it his head was in her lap as she massaged the fur. He sighed and just let her play with his ears and run her fingers through his now extremely long hair.
They sat like that for an unknown length of time until he felt himself drift off. When he woke up Karin was curled against him sleeping peacefully and Pantera was once more in her sheath laying beside them on the futon.
“What did I ever do in my fucked up life to deserve you?” He asked himself as he gazed down at her.

Wow, over 10k hits. I am so happy /sniff
You all really didn't think I would kill Yuzu did you? Well, don't feel bad. I led Kazes around as well when she was doing my editing. Please, please let me know how these two chapters turned out. You do not need an account to review. Even if all you say is, well done. I am sure you can see now why the double post was needed. My BF said the scenes were much more powerful when combined.
- 29
- 30
- 31
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Prize of Victory