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Prize of Victory 2
By : NovaAlexandria
Category: Bleach > General
Views: 56251 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 5
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach nor make a profit from this story
Chapter List
- 7
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Offer

Orihime hummed happily as she walked home for the evening, a crate of groceries tucked under one arm and a basket held in the other. Soul Society lacked plastic bags for carrying groceries and as such, reusable crates and baskets were the order of things. She greatly missed some of the convenience things about the Living World, but at the same time, she had to admit that she enjoyed the open markets. Between fresh produce and the food stands, even in the dead of winter, it almost felt like every trip to the market was a mini-holiday or a street festival.

�I�m home,� she announced as she stepped through the front door and kicked her sandals off.

There was no verbal answer, but a brush of reiatsu tingled pleasantly against her skin, causing her to giggle. She walked into the living room on her way to the kitchen, tossing a smile at her Mate, who appeared to be sleeping on the couch, even though she knew he wasn�t.

She set the groceries down and began to put things away, still humming and swaying her hips in tune to the tune. She only stopped when a pair of hands came down upon them shortly before a body pressed itself against her back.

�Why are you attempting to torment me?� Ulquiorra asked.

�I would say it isn�t an attempt�� she responded and rubbed her rear more firmly against the flesh nestled between her cheeks. � I�d say you�re already there.�

He let out a soft groan before suddenly stepping away from her. She pouted unhappily and was about to get upset when she heard the front door open and close before Diaemus announced he was home. Her good mood returned almost immediately and she focused her attention on their son. However, she did give her mate a sultry look that promised they�d pick up where they�d left off later in the evening.

�Diaemus! Welcome home!� she greeted her son happily, pulling him into her embrace despite his stiff posture. �How did the tests go?� she asked.

�Well,� he answered, trying to pull away from her hug.

Orihime sighed and let him go, looking down at him with teary eyes. Diaemus was so much like his father sometimes that it bothered her. It wasn�t that she didn�t love Ulquiorra, but she wished they would be more expressive. She had worked for years to humanize both her son and her mate, to teach them how to think with their hearts and not just rely on cold logic. It was slow going, but she had made noticeable progress, especially with Ulquiorra. He was considerably different from how he�d been fifteen years ago, when he just took what he wanted, claiming it was his right, with no consideration to her feelings on the matter.

�Answer you mother appropriately,� Ulquiorra ordered their son, a small amount of disapproval in his tone.

Diaemus sighed and sent his father look of suffering before turning his attention back to her.

�My height has seen an increase of one point three centimetres��

Orihime listened attentively as Diaemus informed her how his appointment had gone. She�d been very apprehensive of letting Szayel anywhere near her or her child at first, but he�d slowly earned her trust over the years. It helped that Karin trusted him and knowing that the scientist was Claimed by Grimmjow, who had ordered him to obey Karin in all ways, certainly helped.

��that is all there is to report. May I proceed with my training now, Mother?� Diaemus asked, and then added �Please?�

�Of course,� she replied and beamed at him. �Try not to get too dirty though, supper will be ready in an hour,� she paused and sent a look over towards her mate. �Well, better make that two hours. I forgot there is something I need to take care of first. Can you wait that long?� she asked her son.

The boy, noticing the looks his parents were exchanging, decided that now would be a good time to make his escape, the quicker the better.

�Yes.�

Without another word, Diaemus fled the house, so doubt heading towards one of the many training fields.

�Now then,� Orihime turned her attention back to Ulquiorra. �I believe we were having a discussion about torment?� she asked innocently.

Letting the straps of her dress fall down, which resulted in the whole thing making a slow trip to the floor as it flowed down her body, she took a step towards him wearing nothing but a pair of underwear.

Ulquiorra could move fast when he wanted to, and this was apparently one of those times. One second he was several feet away from her, the next she was on her back in their bedroom with his mouth attacking hers. It took her a moment to get over the sudden vertigo but Ulquiorra never gave her a chance to take control over the situation. That was fine by her, he was a very attentive lover after all and knew just how to make her whimper and squirm in pleasure beneath him. In fact, he proceeded to do just that.

Hana followed Toshiro home, her mind franticly whirling about as she tried to figure out what Harribel could possibly want with her. Whatever it was, Harribel apparently had Nanao�s permission to present it, and that helped ease Hana�s frazzled nerves, more so knowing that Ajuga would be a part of it.

The house Toshiro led her two was two stories and a decent size, with about an acre of yard. It was nowhere near as big as the Estate they lived on, but it was still an impressive place. Most likely, it had belonged to a rich merchant before Harribel had taken it over after the war.

The smell of dinner and the buzz of conversation greeted them as they entered the house and removed their waraji at the door. She watched as he carefully folded the green silk scarf that usually hung around his neck and placed it reverently on a low shelf that seemed reserved just for that garment. Toshiro led her to the dining room where Harribel�s fraccion were busy setting the table for the evening meal. Harribel sat at the head of the table with Ajuga in the seat to her right.

�Welcome home, Toshiro,� Harribel greeted him, looking up at the young man through golden lashes.

�Harribel,� he answered, returning Harribel�s greeting warmly.

She watched, fascinated despite herself, as her Taichou exchanged his usual narrow-lipped scowl for a small smile. Hana tried very hard not to stare, lest her eyes deceive her. Hitsugaya-Taichou almost never smiled at the office, especially of late with the newest Swarm attacks.

Hana got the impression that this was a routine greeting. She felt a little more uncomfortable, uncertain as to what she supposed to do with herself. Ajuga, on the other hand, seemed completely at ease, even happy.

�Hana, welcome. Please, have a seat,� Harribel indicated the chair on her left. �Dinner is almost ready.�

�How was work today?� Ajuga asked her.

�Good,� she answered, feeling a little less uneasy now that she had something relevant and familiar to talk about. �How did the tests with Szay go?�

Ajuga shrugged and leaned back in her chair.

�Same old, same old... Diaemus grew a bit more, and the twins were bickering again until Ji-ji intervened,� she explained. �Nothing out of the ordinary.�

Hana also laughed as she sat down in the indicated seat.

�Ji-ji?� Toshiro asked, confused as he took the seat at the other end of the table. �Do you mean Abarai-san?�

�It�s what the twins call him,� Hana chuckled, her apprehension fading. �Szay set Renji-san up to be the twins� caretaker. I swear Vindula has had him wrapped around her little pinkie since the day she hatched.�

�Ain�t that the truth,� Ajuga agreed, crooking her little finger and rotating it. �Abisara is as refined as Szay likes to pretend he is, but Vindula, she�s a handful, always getting into trouble and trying to follow us around.�

�She�s a handful? Clearly you need to look in a mirror, Ajuga-chan� Hana shot back.

�Seems like that�s a case of the pot calling the kettle �black�,� Ajuga replied with a raised eyebrow.

Harribel�s fraccion paused, sensing a proverbial had just been tossed into the middle of the table.

�I don�t know what you are referring to. I, unlike you, am the embodiment of discipline.�

Hana�s self-assessment earned her a snort from her childhood friend.

�Right, and whose idea was it again to ambush Starrk-ji in the summer with three pails of ice water because he looked hot?�

�Lilinette�s,� Hana answered without a moment�s hesitation. �Besides, it�s sort of become a bit of a tradition,� she shrugged.

�It�s a tradition to attack the Primera with buckets of ice water?� Mila Rose asked, openly shocked.

�Don�t look at me, it was a tradition before I was born,� Ajuga gestured towards Hana.

�Hey, Lili-chan started it. I was too young and innocent to know better,� Hana proclaimed. �Let�s talk about you and Starrk-ji and the makeup kit��

The playful banter helped calm her down during dinner. The three fraccion seemed interested in what it was like living with someone as powerful as Starrk and the conversation continued as the meal progressed. Harribel and Toshiro simply ate in silence, watching the girls and Harribel�s fraccion with amused expressions. At least Hana was sure Harribel was amused, it was hard to tell as the only clue to her emotions were through her green eyes and the occasional low-pitched laugh she would let out during one of their more amusing stories. All in all, dinner went well, and tasted pretty damn good actually. It was kind of nice having other women to talk to other than her mother and Karin. They may have been Arrancar, but that didn�t faze her in the least having grown up around the race. In the end, women tended to be women.

It was well after dessert when Harribel led them to a study and asked that they close the door behind them. Toshiro had excused himself and left for his own chamber. Apprehension replaced the peaceful feeling that had come over her earlier. Even Ajuga, who was much more at ease around Harribel, suddenly seemed slightly apprehensive as well.

�Please, be seated,� Harribel said, and motioned with one elegant hand towards the couch.

Both girls sat down while Harribel took the recliner across from them. Hana often wondered about the large collection of styles Soul Society possessed. Most of it was feudal, but there was a large collection of modern things as well, such as the refrigerators and soul phones to almost the entirety of Szayel�s Division.

�I want to make it clear that this idea comes from your parents, but whether you accept or not is entirely up to you. You will receive no pressure from me and I will only agree to this if you are willing. I would also like to get to know you better, as this is not a decision entered into lightly. It would please me if you would accompany Toshiro home on occasion so that we may do so before we make things final. Is everything clear so far?� Harribel asked.

�It would help if we knew what it is we are agreeing to,� Hana pointed out, pleased that her voice was clear despite the sudden nervousness and fear that was overcoming her.

She knew that their parents were starting to fear for them. It was a secret fear of her own as well, one that had bothered her for the last several months. In fact, she�d gone so far as to ask Szayel for a tracking bracelet of her own in case she caught the eye of an Arrancar undeterred by the fact she lived on the same Estate as both halves of the Primera. The Terceira�s next words did nothing to alleviate her concerns.

�Your parents fear you�ll become a bit too attractive, especially you Ajuga, to those who have yet to make a Claim, or who may be bored with the one they have and dismiss him or her for a better prospect,� Harribel answered bluntly.

Hana was not feeling any better. She knew what Claiming entailed, thanks to Lilinette and she found it hard to believe that her mother would ask anyone to do this to her. Her own mother wasn�t even physically Claimed, yet she was safe.

�There has to be a better way than this! Hell, Harribel is incredibly powerful. Would I even be able to handle it,� she wondered fearfully.

�Most couldn�t even touch me,� Ajuga snorted. �However, there are a few who could and they haven�t exhausted their quota yet,� she admitted reluctantly.

�Indeed�� Harribel agreed with a nod. �This is why your parents requested that I take you under my wing. If, of course, you�re willing. They feel this is the best option, since it will be an arrangement of command outside your family structure. No one wants to answer to their parents forever, after all.�

Despite nearly hyperventilating, Hana still got the impression that Harribel was smiling. It was something about her eyes and the ease in her body language. In fact, Harribel was completely relaxed with the conversation.

�It makes sense,� Ajuga agreed easily. �But I am not sure I really like the idea. No offence Harribel, but, even though I know you would probably be fair, I sort of like my freedom. I understand why my parents are concerned, and I�m surprised that Papa even swallowed his pride enough to ask, but I just don�t like structural command. I would really need to think about it. I am not saying �yes�, but I am not saying �no� just yet either. Hana?� Ajuga looked at her.

Hana�s mind was still whirling about in chaos, flipping between how she really didn�t want her first time to be with a stranger and wondering how, and even if, an Arrancar woman could set up that sort of protection. Mixed in was a large amount of betrayal that her mother would even consider this option for her safety. She hardly even knew Harribel, had never even exchanged words with her until this day.

�Um, Hana, are you alright?� Ajuga asked concerned.

�How can you be so calm about this?� Hana asked.

�It�s not that big of a deal.� Ajuga looked at her, bewildered as to why her childhood friend seemed on the verge of crying.

�This is insane,� Hana shook her head. �How could our parents even conceive of such an idea, especially without even asking us?�

�Hana, why are you so worked up over this?� Ajuga asked, concerned now. �Considering that you�re the logical one, I expected that you would have been all over the offer!�

�I understand the concern and how this would eliminate the threat, but the thought of sharing a bed with someone I don�t even know, that my mother agreed�� she couldn�t finish.

Ajuga stared at her blankly for a moment, before bursting into laugher. In fact, she was laughing so hard that she clutched her sides and nearly rolled off of her portion of the couch. Harribel�s sea-green eyes seemed taken aback for a moment, before they closed and both girls heard a deep-chested laugh erupt from the Espada. Two of her fingertips gently rubbed her forehead and she actually looked a bit chagrined.

�Oh� Hana,� Ajuga gasped. �You�. Oh Kami��

�Forgive me, Hana. I should have made myself clearer. I am offering to accept you as one of my fraccion, not Claim you,� Harribel clarified, sounding a bit sheepish. �It is forbidden to Claim another�s fraccion and as such, you would be safe from that particular danger. It is true that an Espada can Claim their own fraccion, but I already have a partner I am very satisfied with.�

�Oh.�

Hana listened and found her cheeks flooding with color. Now that she had calmed down a little, she felt ridiculous. It should have been obvious that something else was going on. After all, Aizen had limited the Espada to two pets and Harribel already had Toshiro. It would have been against Aizen�s law to add the two girls and she was positive that Harribel liked Toshiro, if the occasionally heated looks the two exchanged throughout dinner were any indication of their feelings. Releasing him from her service would result in his execution unless another picked him up. She was positive that Harribel wouldn�t do that to him.

�We would be your fraccion?� Hana asked, to make sure she�d heard the offer correctly.

�Yes. Do you understand what a fraccion is?�

�They are those that serve a specific Espada. Ajuga I can understand, but I am not an Arrancar. Could I even be one?� she wondered, her curiosity winning out. �Or even have the rank acknowledged?�

�Why do you think no one has bothered your mother, despite the fact that she is still �physically� unClaimed by Starrk?� Harribel pointed out.

Hana looked down at her hands and gave that some thought. She�d simply assumed that no one wanted to mess with Starrk or Lilinette, but that obviously wasn�t the whole story. Her mother was also very good at defending herself from unwanted attention, apparently thanks to years of fending off the father Hana never got the chance to meet. Her mother was also very proficient with Kido so the brief time she�d been denied her Zanpakuto hadn�t hindered her combat skills too badly.

�I never really considered it that way,� she admitted.

In fact, she tried not to think about it. It was just plain strange thinking about Starrk-ji and �take-ji having sex together. The less time she spent on that thought, the better.

�So, what would I have to do as your fraccion?� Hana asked, once her pulse had returned to normal.

Harribel seemed to think this was a reasonable question. She made an expansive gesture with one of her hands.

�I do not expect overly much from my fraccion other than loyalty and friendship. While I will have the right to issue you commands, and I will expect you to obey those commands, I will not order you to do something without a very good reason, nor would I order you to harm someone for whom you care. As I expect loyalty from my fraccion, in return you will have my loyalty. I defend that which belongs to me. It is difficult being a woman amongst so many chauvinistic fools.�

Hana watched as Ajuga nodded at that.

�Would I have to move here?� she asked.

�No,� Harribel assured her. �I do not expect for you to change your life at all, considering your duties. However, it would be nice if you did come by and visit on occasion. I love my girls, but their conversations can get tedious at times and Toshiro tells me that you are a rather charming, intelligent and insightful young woman.�

�Oh, really?� she asked, embarrassed now. �I didn�t know he talked about me.�

�We often talk about his work. As I stated before, you do not need to decide at present. I�m leaving the option open for now. I would like you to consider it carefully though.�

�Alright, I will think about it,� Hana assured her. �How soon would you like a response?�

It was going to a difficult decision to make and she definitely didn�t want to rush into something like this, not without getting more facts and information. The first person she planned on speaking to when she got back to the Estate was Starrk.

�As long as you need, be it three days or three years,� Harribel answered, taking Hana by surprise. �I believe we are finished here for now, and no doubt your mothers are fretting over this conversation even as we speak.�

All three of the women in the room laughed at that and Hana found she liked the deep rumble Harribel gave. It was dark out by the time the two girls walked home, discussing the idea between them.

The offer was sound, but Hana wanted to get to know the Espada better. Ajuga was only slightly interested. Much like her father, Ajuga had issues with authority and didn�t like having to answer to others. It was starting to become a bit of an issue and Hana had walked in on a few heated arguments between mother and daughter. She understood Karin�s concern of course. If the Swarm ever learned of Ajuga�s heritage she would quickly become a target, but Hana couldn�t tell Ajuga that. Karin was keeping it a secret and Hana understood why. Still, it put her in a bit of a tough spot, as she had to sit on an increasingly rickety fence, stuck between supporting her friend and agreeing with her mother. She wasn�t looking forward to the day that fence gave way and she had to make a hard choice. With any luck, that day would never come.

�Well, how did it go?� Nanao asked as the two girls entered the main living room.

�It went well,� Ajuga answered with a shrug. �I am going to pry Papa off of Mother and embarrass the hell out of him. See you in the morning.�

Ajuga announced this with just a little too much wicked glee and waved at the two of them as she left for her family�s suite.

�Good night Ajuga,� Hana called back.

What Ajuga just described had no business being in her head and she dismissed the images her friend had planted there, making a face as she did so. It was just as well. She had her own worried parent to deal with right now.

�Well?� Nanao pressed, probably wanting to know what her daughter thought of the potential arrangement.

�It seems like a good, safe idea, and I understand why you asked her instead of Starrk-ji or Grimmjow. Right now, we just want to get to know each other a bit better. What can you tell me about her?� Hana asked.

�Not much I am afraid, but Toshiro seems to trust her. I would speak to Starrk if you want to know more. I think he is playing a game of Go with Jushiro right now,� Nanao answered.

�I think I will do that.�

�Did Ajuga seem like she was going to agree?�

�No, she is too free-spirited,� Hana said regretfully, and shook her head. �You know, Harribel told me that you are technically Starrk-ji�s fraccion.�

Her mother seemed a little surprised about that, which struck Hana as strange. Her mother was usually the one to consider things from all angles before making any decisions.

�I never thought of it that way,� Nanao mused as she stood up to follow Hana to Jushiro�s room. Hana hoped that Starrk would be in a talkative mood and answer her questions without being either cryptic or lazy about it.

/hugs to the few that took the time to review.

Hi: She did, indeed, fix Grimmjow�s arm, but that was barely a week later, or at least, it was very close to the event. For Byakuya and Soi Fon, it has been fifteen years, that is a very long time to try and reject something. They also don�t have �real� bodies and are just souls. When something becomes a part of their soul, it can�t be changed. I don�t think Orihime could reverse someone�s age as that is also a part of your soul.

Kain: a lot of those will be answered in time and I don�t want to give anything away. As for Hana, by this point people have come to get use to the regime they live in. The resentment was the fact that such a new kid from the academy got such a high rank already. Most of the rank and file are unfamiliar with her relationship with Starrk, they would have no way of knowing what she does on her off time at the Estate.

Next Chapter: More with Soi Fon and some stuff with Byakuya.

This Weeks Question: What is your dream job? Mine would be to be a Marine Biologist and get to spends days swimming in carious oceans studying wild life. I wanted to go that route, but the schooling was too expensive. As a back up, I would love to be a well paid, well known, author. One day I will stop writing Fanfiction and work on my original stories again, once I find a bunker good enough to keep out enraged fan girls.
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Prize of Victory 2	By : NovaAlexandria Category: Bleach > General Views: 56251 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 5
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach nor make a profit from this story

Prize of Victory 2