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That Dreaded Word	By : Platinumsabr Category: Bleach > Het - Male/Female Views: 11539 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, or the characters from it. I don't make any money from the writing of this story, but I do enjoy writing it. Any Original Characters are mine however, as is the story itself, and if you see it posted elsewhere pleas

Chapter List
- 5
- 6
- 7
Visitation

�Soi-Fong,
have you gotten�taller?�

The Second Division captain
spun around to look at her like she was a complete moron. Her muscles hadn�t
really stopped bothering her even after her long nap, and her entire body still
felt sore, but growing pains? She snorted mentally. Her chest did feel kind of
different though�

She walked over to the window
by the sink to see her reflection and stopped dead.

�Oh my God��

~~~~~~~~~~~

She knew what she looked like,
she saw herself every day in the mirror and she treasured her body as her most
important weapon, but this�

Granted, she hadn�t changed much,
but for one night�s rest it was a sudden and dramatic change, something
absolutely impossible in the Living World. The outfit that had been bought
barely two weeks ago by Yoruichi for her had either shrunk, or she had grown.
Her trim stomach was even more exposed than it was before, and it even looked thinner.
The hard muscle could still be seen, but under supple flesh that curved
downwards into hipbones now even higher above her pant�s waistline because of the
newly acquired height to her legs. Accentuated before by her shirt, what
mortified her was that her bust had actually�improved. It wasn�t much, just
like the new height, but it was noticeable, more so to her being as it was her
body.

She was looking less like a
pubescent girl the longer she looked at herself, and she could tell just from
the state her body was in that it wasn�t done. She knew the soreness of
recovery well, and this wasn�t it. This was the soreness of damage, or in this
case, growth: generation. Whatever her body was doing, it still had more to
come.

Even she could tell her hips were
slightly wider than they were before, and it went without saying that her limbs
had experienced elongation as well. It wasn�t as noticeable in her face, but she
could see the changes starting to begin. She was growing. She was growing!

Her mind was racing, unable to
accept this new development. What could have caused this? How long would this
last? What would she look like? Could she handle the changes? How would this affect
her life?

She had seen it happen to Toshiro
and Hanatarou, watched as Rukia and others changed seemingly overnight, and now
it was happening to her! Why was it happening to her though? She
thought for sure the others� had all been because of a stimulus, something that
gave reason to their growth! The thought that she might have a reason like that
sent chills down her spine, but as infuriating as it was, not all of them were
bad chills.

Her bones and muscles ached, and
even staying awake felt like a chore. It was like her body wanted to go back to
hibernate until this was all done! She was hungry though, very, very hungry. It
felt like she had lost weight over the past forty-six hours and from what she
could tell, her body really needed the nutrition.

�Wow, you know, you�re really
looking good, Soi,� Tatsuki commented as she studied
her over for dramatic effect.

She could dismiss the casual use
of her name, Tatsuki was a member of the Association and as it was she wasn�t
sure if she was on-duty or not. Nonetheless, Soi-Fong�s
patented scowl returned instantly, perfectly covering up her surprise just as
she would normally. Now that attention had been drawn to it, she couldn�t help
but notice that her clothes were�dare she even think it?�small. The
clothes she had worn comfortably for nearly two weeks were suddenly small
on her.

If that didn�t feel weird, she
didn�t know what would.

The only time her mask nearly
shattered again was when she realized the one question she had forgotten the
first time. How would he react? She fought the urge to shake her head. Where�d
that come from? Just of out of curiosity of course, her eyes shifted
over to where he was without her turning her head, just to peek. His face was
dry, but she could see droplets of water still falling down his neck, and
again, she felt her womanhood throb when she saw his
Adam�s apple bob in an almost nervous gesture that was habitual to nearly every
male on the planet. His scowl was the same as it always was, but his eyes were
glued to her. Even when he tried to look at something else, they kept going
back to her as if magnetized.

She had to say, that did feel
pretty good. Maybe these changes aren�t really a bad thing� And what was
more, she didn�t even feel like punching herself for thinking that. It was long
overdue, maybe now she would actually look like she belonged with the other
women in the Association, instead of the awkward teenager at a meeting of
adults.

Besides, if her body grew, than
so would the potential strength she could obtain. She wasn�t going to be
ashamed of that no matter what the reason.

So, without answering Tatsuki�s
statement, she resumed looking for something to make. True, she wasn�t the best
cook, but she knew what it was her body needed and she was able to make food
that reached that need, however arguable that might be. Cooking had never been
high up on her list of things to master. That, and the
division cafeteria always had food available. Seireitei wasn�t about to have
their officers undernourished after all, but then there were cases like her
lieutenant�

This time she did shake
her head. The last thing she wanted to do was think of
that useless egotist who constantly had food in his hand. Could he fight?
Sometimes, she could give him that, but more often than not he was a waste of
quality air better used by someone else.

Tatsuki sighed and shook her head
as she rolled her eyes with a grin. �Fine, whatever.
I�ll see you both later, try not to kill yourselves
making a meal.�

Gwydion grunted lightly in amusement
as he turned away from the cupboards he had opened. �We aren�t your children,
Tatsuki-san, I believe we are perfectly capable of
feeding ourselves without injury.�

She merely grinned in response,
and he didn�t like the amused undertones he saw there. She wasn�t blind, in fact when it came to tomboys, she had firsthand
experience. �I�d probably trust my kids more,� she said with a laugh as she
exited with Senna waving over her shoulder back at
him.

When they were gone, that was
when it sunk in that he was alone with the woman that he felt inexplicably
drawn to, and he wanted to get closer still. His eyes immediately shot over to
the doorway his superior had exited out of. Could she have�!? No, there�s no
way. The day someone other than Soi-Fong saw
through him that easily shouldn�t come any time soon, at least that�s what he
thought. Before, he would have been so bold as to say �anyone,� but after
meeting the braided captain again, he had had to amend that.

How was he to know it wasn�t him
she was seeing through?

When he looked back at the only
other person in the room, he was startled to see her examining him critically,
her eyebrow raised as she took in his post-shower appearance. He might have
been insulted had the way she was �critically� examining him been in the
negative sense. �Is something wrong?�

She shook her head as if shaking
off a daze, and red passed over her cheeks so quickly he didn�t know for sure
if he had even seen right. �N-Nothing. I just noticed
your impromptu poncho, that�s all.�

An amused huff passed his lips.
�Well, it seemed my former uniform had been thrown away, and I wasn�t exactly
in any state to run home and get one. Soul Reaper or not, there are plenty of
spiritually-aware humans in this city.�

To his surprise�and delight�a
small laugh broke out of her mask as well at that, and this time the red stayed
long enough for him to know he had seen it. �That would be true, wouldn�t it?�
The mental image of his statement had been too much for her overactive mind to
take lightly right then, and her reaction embarrassed the hell out of her. Did
he notice?

His constant scowl did nothing to
help her answer that thought however, but then again her scowl wasn�t to be
taken lightly either. It only occurred to her then how little she felt like
scowling around him though, and she could see his face softening more and more
even just in her presence. It was a strange situation that she couldn�t really
figure out right then.

�No one�s stopping you now, why
don�t you go get one?� She resumed their conversation quickly as she took some
vegetables and peppers out of the fridge while easily finding some meat in the
freezer compartment. She wasn�t familiar with this particular kitchen, but she
wanted food and a lot of it.

She had a knife in her hand and
some veggies on the cutting board when it occurred to her that she had no idea
how to work the appliances of the modern kitchen, even the seemingly simple
rice cooker. Apparently the violet-eyed man noticed her moment of hesitance,
and she nearly hit the roof when she felt his larger hand enclose over hers and
easily twirl the blade into his hand.

�What are you doing!?� She nearly
shrieked, both shocked and once again embarrassed by her body�s reaction. Her
hand burned where his had held it even only momentarily, and it made her entire
arm tingle.

�I can tell you�re getting
reading to make stir-fry, but if I may be so bold, may I suggest you allow me?
I have been living in this world for quite some time after all.�

The conscientiousness of his
words touched her, and she almost found herself smiling at him. He hadn�t
remarked on her inability, he had merely inserted himself into the awkward
moment tactfully and allowed her the opportunity to watch without feeling like
an idiot. She had to give him some brownie points for that, it was rare she
ever let anyone else help her to begin with, and it felt nice to know he
respected her pride.

Even though the haori stayed on
him haphazardly at best, he was still remarkably adept at making the cuts with
only his one hand, though it was kind of funny when she noticed the way he
approached the cuts was similar to the way he performed his Iai
draws. It made sense. He wasn�t the fastest at cooking, but she could see he
was going out of his way to allow her to see everything he was doing. Though it
was against her image to stand around doing nothing, this time she was content
to watch and learn. It felt like years since she had allowed herself to do
that, and the truth of the matter was it had been.

Her stomach growled noisily as
the food simmered over the stove and it smelled wonderful, but she was
hard-pressed to disagree when she thought even the fake fast-food of the Living
World might have smelled like a feast to her right now. She was starving. She
had watched enough, if she let him hear her stomach
again her embarrassment really might kill her. Her eyes brightened when she
thought of what she could do instead, and then next time Gwydion turned around
he was alone.

He looked around in confusion for
a few seconds before sighing and turning back to the food. She hadn�t seemed
overly angry that he had taken over what she had been doing, but if there was
one thing he knew it was that she would have no idea how to work the modern
appliances around her, at least not yet. Maybe he had misread her, it wouldn�t be hard to do with her mask so like his.

Before he felt the time pass, the
food was already done, and when he turned to get out some dishes he just about
flinched in surprise when he saw Soi-Fong standing
there again, a folded bundle of black in her arms.

�Sorry if I was presumptuous, but
I thought you might like one of your uniforms.�

He didn�t even bother wondering
how she had gotten in without a key, and why she knew where he lived had already
been answered. He had nothing to hide in his apartment, and though he was
slightly unnerved at her action, for someone like her he also knew this was
something she rarely did. She had done him a favor, however questionable that
might be to anyone else. He offered her his lopsided smile as he took the
garments from her and inclined his head slightly. �Thank you, I appreciate it.�

Had he not been bowing, he might
have seen the way her skin went from white to cherry red in one second flat. �N-No problem. I grabbed it and I left, but still, I�� What
she was about to do was even rarer, but for some reason she felt like she
couldn�t afford to be misunderstood. She didn�t want him�hating her.
��apologize for the intrusion.�

He clearly hadn�t expected that,
but even then he simply nodded in understanding. He had seen more sides of her
in the span of a meal process than he had in decades with her in the Second
Division. She had already seen his home, it wasn�t
like it was something sacred. He spent more time outside anyway.

�You helped an injured officer
from another division. A captain has no need to apologize for that.� He meant
every word, and that was partly because he knew had their situations�in every
respect�been reversed, he probably would have dome the same. �If you will
excuse me for a moment, I�ll go get changed. Help yourself while I�m gone.�

The food smelled absolutely
incredible, and before she knew it she had piled her plate high with the rice
and stir-fry he had made. She didn�t lose her head completely, she made sure to
put a decent amount on another plate for him too. Being that she had never
eaten with him before, she had no idea how much he ate regularly. Regardless,
she set the plates out on the table and though she loath to do so, it wouldn�t be
proper if she started eating before the person that had made it was even back
in the room.

Her stomach growled loudly again
and she almost groaned, then proceeded to almost drop her chopsticks when
Gwydion walked back into the room and sat down across from her without missing
a beat. For what reason she didn�t know, but he looked even more incredible
than the food smelled, and at that moment that was saying something. Why
does my chest hurt so much when I see him?? What�s going on with me??

He shook his hand out of his long
sleeve and picked up his chopsticks. �Itadakimasu.�

She gulped to wet her suddenly
dry throat and nodded in a slight bow. �Itadakimasu,�
she repeated hastily.

Whatever her thoughts had been
before, they were all erased the instant the food touched her tongue, and for
that she was thankful.

God she was hungry.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

He leaned back against the trunk
of one of the many trees lining the Kurosaki�s backyard from one of its high
branches and sighed softly as he watched the clouds painted in a myriad of
colors from the setting sun behind him. As much as he would have wanted to be
in his usual tree around this time, he wasn�t going to risk getting too far
away, especially since he didn�t know what could happen if he did. His body still needed to rest, and for all he knew he
could run into one of those things again. Izanami was
rested against his right shoulder from between his crossed legs and his fake
arm held her in place with its weight. He wasn�t about to go anywhere�except
the obvious�without her, he never had and never would.

Eating with Soi-Fong
hadn�t exactly been the most talkative event he had ever been at, but he
appreciated silence too, and she had clearly been hungry. How that small body
had managed to fit all that food he had no idea, and by the time they were done
there were no leftovers to speak of. He wasn�t a small man in any sense of the
word, but she had eaten twice, if not three times as much as him. He nearly
smiled again, and he was almost disturbed by how easily his old persona wanted
to come out around her, even just thinking about her. His scowl had become so
natural to him smiling was almost a chore, but around her it was getting harder
and harder to keep up convincingly.

He was falling, he was falling
hard and he was falling fast. Why it had to be with the highest ranking officer
of the one division that would kill him under any regular circumstances just
showed how screwed up his life was. If Fate truly was real, his was laughing at
him. He wouldn�t get his hopes up, but that didn�t mean he wouldn�t try either.

�What is it with you and trees?�

His hand was already in his right
sleeve and gripped around one of the many weapons he hid there, but this time
he managed to stop himself before he flung a kunai at her head. She was the
only person in however many years that could manage to surprise him, but that
was likely because he found himself lost in thoughts of her when not around
her. It was an annoying thing, possibly even a fatal one in their line of work.

He looked over at her as she
stood proudly on the branch, her arms crossed as she looked out at the colored
clouds that had formerly had his attention, and in the dimming light of the sun
she looked just�perfect. That image burned into his memory, and his fingers
twitched, as if looking desperately for his paintbrush. The shadows and light
crossing the profile of her body as she stood like she was, surrounded by the
remnants of autumn leaves and bare winter branches, she simply�fit. She truly
was beautiful, beautiful and deadly, even more so to him.

He swallowed heavily and turned
back to the clouds, away from her picturesque form as much as it pained him to
do so. Like all the others, that image would never leave his memory. �It�s a
long story.�

She walked closer with perfect
balance and sat down beside him as she dangled her legs below the branch. �I�ve
got time.�

He was struck by how normal she
was acting, and once more Izanami�s word came back to
him. It wasn�t like he had ever doubted it, but she was just as much of a
regular woman as any other under her scowl and position. He could tell her, he
had to give her something about him otherwise what was the point in wanting to
be with her? �I lived in Rukongai for too long before
I decided to become a Soul Reaper, and the district I was born into wasn�t the
best. It wasn�t the worse either as I came to find out, but for a child it felt
like hell nonetheless. I came to realize the horrors of the higher districts
after my acceptance into the academy, but at the time I truly despised the
people around me.

�My escape was my art. Music was
rare, but I could draw on any odd piece of material or paper I found. The trees
were where I found my peace, away from the blood and sneers of the inhabitants.
It was also the safest place to hide and eat if I got too hungry and was forced
to steal from a vendor. I was a self-trained acrobat by the time I was ten
years old, and I never stopped using that for the next few decades after that.
I never thought I would have to use my art as an escape once I became a Soul
Reaper, but had I not had my art I would have likely gone insane, and at the
very least I wouldn�t have been able to wield Izanami
properly, though I suppose that doesn�t mean much anymore.�

She nodded wordlessly and resumed
listening as she fought off her tiredness. She was still as sleepy as ever, but
a full stomach gave her some energy and she definitely didn�t want to fall
asleep during something like this. It explained his flexibility.

�For the most part I was able to
get by on cheap parlor tricks in Rukongai, but that
didn�t always meet the needs of one of the few people with spiritual power
there were out in that sector.�

She arched an eyebrow. This is
new. �Parlor tricks?�

�Slight of hand is necessary in
stealing, even if I�m ashamed to admit I had to rely on it back then. Most of
what I did was memory, explaining things or reading things back to people that they
only showed to me for a second as a wager to their friends. I never forget a
face, or anything I read or see if I look at it long enough. In some instances
I can even recall something I�ve seen for only a moment, but it usually doesn�t
last as long. It did the job though, and that was all that mattered. Come to
think of it, that was probably another reason why they sent my own team after
me instead of killing them separately, on the off chance I survived if another
group was sent I would be able to identify them.�

Once again, she had been told
more about him. It made sense that he had made it up to Fourth Seat, an ability
like that would be invaluable to the reconnaissance-driven Second Division, and
combined with his tactical and imaginative mind, he may very well have made it
up to lieutenant one day. �He had a curse
like most in the Second Division, he could never forget the things he had seen,
but the silver lining was he could do that with regular things as well, not
just the terrible. He was impressively well-balanced, just not anymore. �I�m
sorry,� she said quietly, and he looked at her quizzically.

�What for?�

�It�s just�� The words lodged in
her throat and she didn�t really know why she had apologized in the first
place. �It couldn�t have been easy talking about your life back then. To have
so much potential and just�� It was something even she was having a hard time
understanding. The true depth of his hatred sent chills through her when she
thought about it.

He chuckled softly as he turned
back to the scenery, and she was drawn to his sculpted face as the orange
sunbeams cast shadows over the melancholy scowl. �No matter how many abilities
our zanpakutous can have, or how much power anyone gains,
no one can turn back time to do things over again.
Believe me, I�ve spent too much time wondering about �what ifs� and �if only�.
To use your verbatim, everything happens for a reason, and I�m beginning to
believe that. Because I met you again my zanpakutou finally talked to me for
the first time in a hundred-and-fifty years. You don�t know how much that means
to me.�

As much as she wanted to deny it,
to hear her used in that context brought a blush to her cheeks. For once,
someone was actually glad they had met her, and he took everything she said
seriously. �Y-You�re welcome.� At an absolute loss at how to continue, she said
the first thing that came to mind. �How are you feeling?�

�As well as I can, I suppose. As
the captain would say, �just take it easy for a little while, though I doubt
you�d do that even if I ordered you to.��

She gave a small grin at that. It
certainly sounded like something Ichigo would say. �So you�re all healed?�

He nodded. �The captain is good
at all his responsibilities, even if they are ones he�s put on himself. I feel
as good as I did before it happened, but I have no desire to encounter another
one of those things anytime soon.�

Her half-aware mind jolted to
awareness. There were some things he didn�t know about, now that she thought
about it. If they tried to come after him again, it was vital he know. �About that. Gwydion��

She told him as much as she
could, minus the fact that she had posted Stealth Ops around the remaining
Living World Shinigami. Even if she felt attracted to him, that couldn�t allow
her to treat him like a higher ranking officer than he was, though that didn�t explain
why she hadn�t posted any officers around him.

For as stoic as he was, even his
eyes were wide by the end of her explanation. �That was a�a fellow Shinigami?�

She shook her head. �He might
have been at one time, but that was an enemy, make no mistake about that. We
don�t know what was done to him, but the Twelfth Division is analyzing his
body. I�ve requested to be assigned here until this is all done with, if it
really has been happening more than just this one time.�

She didn�t know what he read from
that line, but his violet eyes softened towards her and his lips edged up ever
so slightly. For a second she couldn�t speak, couldn�t even breathe. This was
one of those rare moments where for some reason or another he let his mask fall
away, and instead of his hatred, something else was revealed. In that moment he
looked barely twenty years old, and his beauty was redefined in her mind. Her
chest constricted again and she snapped out of her reverie. Why!? Why does
this keep happening!? What is this!?!?!

Maybe it would have helped to
know that during her moment of surprise, her mask fell away as well.

�Are you on-duty right now?� He
asked suddenly, and she quickly composed herself.

Since she didn�t really know, and
it was evening already, she simply answered, �Not that I know of.�

He gave his half smile again and
his left eye glimmered. He had never been known to act without reason, but he
had one now, and he couldn�t stay away, not after seeing her unguarded face
again. She truly was a work of art. �Well then, please excuse my bluntness, but
would you like to go for dinner tomorrow, Soi-Fong?�

She froze in place and her mask
did nothing to hide her wide eyes. �F-For dinner? A-As in a�d-date?�

He nodded. �That would be the
intention, yes.�

Too many things happened in her
body at once for her to even be able to describe them. Fear and euphoria
battled relentlessly within her, and her once constricting chest was beating
like a bass drum against her ribs. For once, the constantly-scowling Second
Division captain lost all composure. �Um�I-I�um�um�.I�!�

And immediately ran away.

He was in the process of getting
up to give chase when he thought against it and slumped back against the tree
trunk instead. �You are such a fool, Gwydion,� he whispered to himself. True,
the only thing he had ever gotten from her was mixed signals, but he had
thought she would have taken it better than that at the very least. It felt
like he had been slapped in the face. �This won�t make things awkward at all.�
He gave a sick chuckle as he slammed the back of his head against that trunk.
��A flaw of the flesh means nothing to the heart,� huh? I should have known��
He ran his hand through his hair and laughed bitterly.

Why, after the way his life had
gone so far, did he think he could possibly grasp some happiness?

He didn�t know how long he sat
there, watching the sky change colors and feel his heart fall back down beneath
its icy covering, but he was interrupted suddenly.

�Why hello
there.�

The unfamiliar voice so close to
his ear had him up in an instant with Izanami drawn,
and as her scabbard fell to the ground he was shocked by what he saw in front
of him.

A woman stood there, standing on
air, wearing a form-fitting grey and black kimono that showed off an impressive
bust while her height nearly equaled his. Her hair was a dark blue with what
looked like small bone-like barbs attached to each end, and it hung down to her
shoulders in choppy spikes as she twirled some around her right index finger.

She looked him over approvingly
and grinned, revealing pearly whites with canines longer than normal. Now that
he looked closer, he could tell that her skin wasn�t typical, but a strange
in-between that gave her white skin an almost off-grey look not seen on
anything he had ever met before. Her eyes were even darker than her hair, a
midnight blue so deep it almost looked black. The impossibly blue irises had
streaks of silver so bright in them he could see them even from where he stood,
like a star in a night sky.

He couldn�t even tell much from
her reiatsu, because it was registering so minutely he couldn�t tell the
deviations in it, and they were there. He could feel the difference from the
norm, but not strong enough to draw anything conclusive.

�Who are you??�

She looked around skeptically
before crossing her arms over her chest and nodding to herself as if she came
to some decision because of that simple look. �Let�s talk somewhere else.�

The next thing he knew he had
been pulled all the way to the other side of town, and he hadn�t even had time
to react. �Her speed was unnatural, even
for Soul Reapers. He steadied himself when she let him go and bounced away from
him and he pointed his sword at her again. �Answer me, who are you?!�

She giggled girlishly and smiled
brightly at him as she rested her hands on the two hilts protruding from either
side of her obi. �You can call me Ai! I threw away my last name a long time
ago, so it�s just Ai now. I just had to come see what he had found so
interesting the other day, and no doubt about it, you�re certainly something
special!�

His eyes narrowed. �And who is
this �he�?�

�Don�t you worry about that,� she
said with a chuckle. For how lighthearted her words were, her voice was a
breathy purr that made even the girlish giggles she
had made early sound enrapturing. �You�ll meet him soon enough. Finding an
unseated officer hiding true power has the same odds as winning the lottery,
but I have to say I never thought I�d get both power and beauty! You�re quite
the catch, handsome.�

He didn�t even respond to her
words, and neither did his body. Though some might have blushed, his scowl only
got deeper. �You obviously don�t know me then.�

She giggled again, and the next
thing he knew she was behind him, caressing a hand down his right arm like a
cherished pet as the other gently scraped its nails against his neck, not
enough to break skin�which would have been easy considering the claw-like
sharpness�just enough to make his skin tingle. As much as he wanted to spin
away from her to get her to stop touching his fake arm, right then his life was
in her hands, and he had barely seen her move. She was obviously comparable to
captain class, and his lack of skill against this particular opponent was
infuriating him.

�You mean this? I know all about
this, sugar. Blind in one eye and missing your right arm, not something one
encounters much in an unseated officer, neh?�

He gritted his teeth to fight off
the overwhelming urge to move, though the constant petting of her nails down
his neck dissuaded that. Any false moves and she could kill him in an instant. �It�s
why I�m an unseated officer.�

She chuckled again and pressed
her chest against his back as she wrapped her arms around his torso and she put
her chin in the crook of his neck. While her hot breath splashed against his
skin she scraped her sharp canines against his jugular teasingly. �Ah, your
body says that, but your reiatsu says you should be living the high life. He
was told of your fight with our little friend, you�re no unseated officer. You
belong higher, so very much higher��

Even if he didn�t want his body
to respond, the tone of her voice and the constant unusual feeling of her
breath against his neck were sending shivers up and down his body, for reasons
both good and bad. There shouldn�t have been any good.

�I belong right where I am,� he
answered resolutely.

Her throaty chuckle rumbled
through his body and his grip tightened on Izanami. �Ah,
but what if I told you if you came with me you could be whole again?�

His eyes widened drastically and
they shot to the side, trying desperately to see her face from over his
shoulder without moving his head. �Wh�What?�

�He could fix you,� she whispered
seductively into his ear as she bit lightly on the tip. �I can feel it. The hatred, the sheer power you
hold in you. It�s irresistible! You�re too good to go to waste here, I�d much
rather you come with me now than us having to bring you in by�force. I�d hate to see this beautiful
body damaged more than it needs to.�

His resistance was falling, but
years of hatred and stoniness made his will something legendary. For what his
body lacked, he made up for in willpower. She offered a very convincing
argument though, and truth be told he didn�t really have a reason to stay where
he was�anymore. He should have died years ago as it was. �And if I say no?�

Her sensual, amused chuckle broke
the silence once again. �I�ll be really disappointed, but that�s okay. This was
a meet-and-greet, and you�ve exceeded every one of my expectations, G.T.. I thought for sure he had found some muscle-bound giant
to be so interested in his strength, but you�I like you.�

It was the first time he had
heard those words in almost two hundred years, and he couldn�t help the way he
felt his body heating up against his will. She was still touching him,
practically wrapped around his body more like it, and that did nothing to help calm
it. He could imagine it was someone else though, but at this point even that
dream wasn�t worth the time anymore.

�Do you do this to everyone you
meet then?� he taunted softly, praying she�d take the bait and release him. As
he was he could do nothing but stand there and take it. �And I prefer Gwydion,�
he informed while trying his hardest to keep his body from reacting any further.
It had been so long since he had had soft physical contact even his iron will
wasn�t doing as much as it usually would.

�Mmhmmm,
interesting, even your name intrigues me. And no,� she giggled, �I don�t do
this to everyone I meet. From the moment I saw you I knew you were something,
something more than this pitiful existence you�re leading now. Come with me
now, I promise you won�t regret it.�

It was like her voice was
specifically designed to weaken his defenses, and she knew all the right things
to say. He had been waiting so long for someone to find value in him again�

His gaze saddened. Had he really
misread her so much? The esteemed Second Division captain had told him he was
useful, vehemently in fact, and they had spent time together that he thought
both of them enjoyed. Wasn�t it only natural to try and make it more
purposeful? He had felt the spark, but maybe she hadn�t.

But still, she was here. She was
here, and even though his heart and pride were hurting, it made him want to
stay too, at least until he knew it was certain. As it was, it was the only
real reason he had to decline Ai�s offer. Soul Society had told him long ago it
didn�t want him among it.

��I�m sorry.�

An almost drunken whine of disappointment
was issued from behind him and her grip loosened as she disentangled her arms
from around him to walk back in front of him. �That�s too bad,
here I was hoping to get to know you better. I�ll be back Gwydion, think over
my offer while you still have the chance. He can be very�persuasive.�

Unexpectedly, she launched
herself forward and pressed their faces together in a kiss that was so intense
and ferocious even though it ended almost right away, he was still dazed when
it did.

She licked her lips hungrily. �But
then again, so can I. I�ll remember your taste,
surprisingly sweet for one so bitter. Until we meet again�Commander.�
With a low bow she stepped backwards and vanished, leaving him alone with his
thoughts in the darkening sky

He didn�t know what his fate was
anymore, or what life would throw at him next. He looked down at his limp right
arm and grimaced before going back to the Kurosaki�s backyard and picking up
his sword�s sheathe. With a toss of the blade and a quick alignment Izanami slid back into her scabbard with a sharp whistle of
metal.

�What the hell is going to happen
next?�

~~~~~~~~~~

And he wasn�t the only one facing
problems.

~~~~~~~~~~

Author�s Notes: Well, didn�t get it out as early as I wanted to
again, but that�s life. Again, thanks for all the reviews to my continued
reviewers! As for the Tousen thing, I don�t know. For
my sake, I pretty much went with the three main antagonists all died. It just
seemed like the best thing to do. Hopefully Bleach will have a satisfying
ending regardless of whether they do that or not, but since I don�t know I can�t
really comment right now. Don�t expect any of them to show up in other words,
LOL!

More reviews would be nice! It�s
really nice to know I�ve got a group of awesome people that have given me their
support, but I�d like to hear from others too! LOL, I can�t thank you if you
don�t review! Wow, I�m getting pretty bad aren�t I?

Okay then, time to start writing
the next chapter!

Thanks for reading and I hope you
enjoyed the chapter!
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That Dreaded Word