Adult-FanFiction.org : Bleach

Prize of Victory 2
By : NovaAlexandria
Category: Bleach > General
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Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach nor make a profit from this story
Chapter List
- 82
- 83
- 84
The Night Before Tomorrow: Nanao and Starrk

One did not live as long as a Shinigami, or a Hollow, without acquiring a few �interesting� experiences. Supposedly, the late Yamamoto Genryūsai had seen everything under the sun in a career that spanned millennia and that it was impossible to catch him off-guard. Jushiro swore, on his substantial honour, that nothing could elicit a surprised reaction from his former instructor, up until the very day he died. He�d seen everything that an enemy, or for that matter, a wayward student could pull. Experience granted the power of anticipation in Yamamoto�s case. Aizen had been the first person in over seven centuries to pull a fast one on the old man.

It was a pity that �surprise� had been fatal.

Nanao was not as old as many of the current residents of Soul Society. In fact, she was quite young as far as Shinigami reckoned years, but war had a tendency to force maturity on those involved, whether they wanted it or not. Therefore, she could safely say that she had much more experience than the average Shinigami and very little of that involved �book learning.�

To the best of her knowledge, her Academy textbooks had failed to cover much of what had occurred in the last fifteen years. Her current position was one that required a �hands on� approach and for the thousandth time in the past seven days, she caught herself ruminating on it. Of course, that wasn�t hard to do when her co-participant was spooned up behind her.

She lay on her side on her bed, minus her glasses, her hair clip and a stitch of clothing. A strong chest rose and fell against her back, its warmth urging her to relax into it, while a large hand wrapped around her torso. Gently cupping her left breast, its lazy thumb circled a hardening nipple, the motion not hard enough to provoke a response from her, but not light enough to dismiss entirely either. Oddly enough, it felt like an offer, a reminder that if she chose, he would willingly give her more, but not until she gave the word.

For a woman who was supposedly someone�s �property,� she sometimes felt as if their roles were reversed, that he was the supplicant rather than the conqueror in this relationship, if that�s what it was... because in Nanao�s mind that was what it was starting to feel like.

Coyote Starrk had spent every night since the evening he�d Claimed her curled up next to her in her bed. He�d brought two extra pillows with him and another blanket. Nanao took it as a sign that he�d abandoned the bedroom and the pile of pillows he�d collected during his long stay at the Estate in favour of her mattress and plain cotton sheets. His clothing and possessions remained in that room, but she could see a much larger yukata hanging on a new hook next to the bathroom door, next to hers, as a convenience in the morning. It was certainly better than having him walk back to his room in the buff. Her shower now had a second shampoo bottle and another bar of soap that smelled of spice rather than the floral scent she preferred in her toiletries. In that, they were probably no different from any other pair of new lovers, finding out where the boundaries were with one another as far as personal items went when the rules that governed their behaviour towards one another had changed with her status.

In other ways, it hadn�t changed quite as much as others might have assumed. They hadn�t engaged in any penetrative sex since that first, earth-shattering joining. She�d come home late every night since then, thanks to an overabundance of paperwork, assignments, patrols and so on. In addition, she�d been breaking in Yumichika and Ggio as her Fukutaichou, which only served to make her worry about Karin and what her friend might be suffering. Her fatigue at the end of the day and Starrk�s reticence about pushing for anything more than she wanted to give had meant they�d cuddled more than anything else.

She�d spent almost every night since Hana had been old enough to merit her own bed and bedroom sleeping alone. Falling asleep in another person�s arms ought to have been more difficult for her. Nanao liked having personal space and ergo, she shouldn�t have been this comfortable, dozing off each night in the presence of a Hollow.

Conversely, the Arrancar who held her seemed to think that cuddling, and especially kissing, was the gods� own invention. He tackled both with uncharacteristic enthusiasm, making her resolve to wait weaken along with her knees. Worse, she was rapidly getting used to his warm breath on the back of her neck, his warm hands on her breasts and belly and his warm �everything else� pressed against her while they slept. Neither had it taken him long to master the sort of kissing that led to other, more dangerous things.

He was very, very good at it� almost too good. Nanao wondered if she�d inadvertently created a monster with that first, impulsive lip lock she�d place on his mouth the morning after he�d Claimed her, with tonight as a prime example. Starrk had languidly explored her mouth for what felt like hours, taking his time to savour her in much the same way he might indulge in his favourite meal� or wallow in a stack of silk pillows. When he�d pulled away and tucked her dazed body next to his for the night, she�d almost forgotten her given name.

Maybe he�d had other motives though, which brought her right back around to the concerns that kept waltzing through her brain, keeping her awake.

Tomorrow. The assassination was scheduled for tomorrow.

The attack would begin at noon. The Swarm would pour through gates created by teams of Portal Scarabs brought in and hidden throughout the city by Szayel�s Division members. They were probably still in the process of using the tunnels below the Seireitei to move and place the bugs, since the large, lumbering creatures would attract too much attention otherwise. The well-placed bombs and other �mayhem makers� that Soi Fon�s shadowy contacts had planted would explode, one by one, throughout the Rukongai, creating a series of colourful distractions that would keep her and other Divisions occupied.

The latter would be the cue for the former to start the Swarm�s invasion after a one hour countdown. She would be at her Division when the explosions started and would send those officers with Claims, but who were not pregnant, to investigate. She wasn�t as worried about them as she was about the forces that would have to remain in the Seireitei itself. They would have to fight the Swarm. In an odd twist of fate, they would actually be fighting for their lives against their own allies in this conflict.

She also had no idea what she was going to do with her two new Fukutaichou. Ideally, she�d send them out in two separate directions, to investigate two separate �distractions,� but there was Barragan to consider. How far away did a Claimed Shinigami have to be for a summons to fail, or be too faint to feel? Nanao wasn�t certain. Starrk had said to leave that up to him, she had no idea what he intended to do.

Teeth nipped at her neck, making her shiver and instinctively bare her neck to permit Starrk better access to her flesh. His chin moved dark strands of her hair away from the spot he seemed focused upon and the First followed up the nibble with a swipe of his tongue. She didn�t realize she�d sighed in response until the hand cupping her breast squeezed it.

Tonight was the last night they might have together. While she could feign ignorance about the events which would occur that afternoon, Starrk�s part in the plan would squarely label him as a traitor. If they failed, Aizen would kill the First and once again Nanao would lose a man that she might just love. It was a thought that had haunted her since Yoruichi had arrived on their doorstep with a final, detailed plan. At that moment, all of the nebulous �ifs� that surrounded the conspirators solidified. Aizen�s death suddenly became a real possibility� as had the possibility that despite everything they�d done to prevent it, he might win yet again.

It had been a night like this when she had slept with Shunsui, when the drink and the stress of not knowing what the next day would bring had torn down her defences. She�d finally let him in, after decades of pursuit on his part.

Did she regret it? No, she loved Hana, but there were too many similarities between what might happen tomorrow and what she�d already lived through for comfort.

Either of their comforts, apparently, because the tongue lapping at the pulse point in her neck trailed up, until it circled the shell of her ear.

�You�re thinking too much,� Starrk murmured to her.

The accusation lacked any heat, save for the warmth of his breath as it stirred her hair.

�I can�t help it.�

�Hmm. What troubles you, Nanao?�

�Tomorrow, the past... all of it,� she confessed. Starrk pulled her tighter against his body and she could feel what her flesh did to his as his arousal rubbed between her bottom cheeks.

�You were with him the night before he died, before the invasion.�

Starrk phrased that as a statement, not a question. She nodded.

�Yes, I was. It was the only time too.�

��and your mind cannot help drawing a parallel, from that night to this,� he finished. Then she felt him loosen his grip. The �click� as Starrk reached over her and turned up the light volume on the lamp next to the futon sounded much too loud and her eyes opened, only to be blinded by the sudden brightness that filled her vision.

�I understand. I will never force you to do anything Nanao, unless it�s something that will save your life. If you do not want me here, I will retreat. A warrior should have a clear head before a battle. I won�t disturb your rest.�

�No!� she said quickly, her fingers wrapping firmly around the hand still on her breast before he could leave her. �I�m not upset that you�re here. That�s not it at all!�

Starrk made no further move to untangle his limbs from hers. In fact, he brought one leg up over hers, pressing his hips steadily against her bottom. She, in turn, wiggled back against him until he got the message. Starrk stayed silent, letting her gather her thoughts, until she could get them organized enough to tell him what had her on edge.

�I am afraid,� she finally said, the admission not something of which she was proud. Fear came with the job of Taichou; one accepted one�s terror and moved through it as quickly as possible. One did not brood about what had not yet happened, nor did one allow it to fester, which was what she�d been doing until she�d almost driven Starrk back to his old room. �I�m afraid for you.�

The hand on her breast went still at that, his fingers ceasing their motions, as if he didn�t want to do anything that might get in the way of the disclosure. Nanao also knew he probably wouldn�t move until she�d related everything.

�The last time I was with a man, like this, the night before a big battle, he didn�t come back. I know it�s not rational�that you�re not him, and that circumstances are different this time� but I�m still afraid that, yet again, I�ll lose someone I...�

Her throat stopped working before the word could emerge from her mouth. Nanao felt the fingers of Starrk�s other hand carefully run through her hair, until his palm rested upon the top of her head. Swallowing, she forced herself to keep going, hoping she could get it all out into the open before her nerve failed.

�Back then, I barely survived losing Shunsui and so many of my friends. If not for Hana, I would have given up. If we lose this time, with everything at stake, I� I don�t think I could go on.�

Once she�d finished, Nanao wanted to cringe and take it all back, lest he think her needy or weak.

�No� that�s not right, at least��

�You fear being left alone again.�

It was such a simple thing to say, and yet when she heard the Arrancar behind her say it... There was a brief moment of discomfort as Starrk shifted and the mask fragment that encircled his throat like a bandana dug into her shoulder, just to the left of her spine. The worst part was that it was true. She feared Starrk�s death less for the ending that it would mean for him than for the loneliness it would mean for her and perhaps for Jushiro too� She might not even have Hana, if Aizen chose to make an example of her daughter and kill her child for the aid she�d given the Escapees. Nevertheless, it was the loneliness that would be her lot for however long she lived afterward that utterly terrified her.

�Nanao�� she thought she heard him say, but by then it was as if the solitude she feared had already sunk its claws in her. She�d grown accustomed to the people who surrounded her here at the Estate, so much so that the gradual loss of their companionship left rents in her heart that could not easily be healed. The only ones left were the First and Jushiro and if Aizen managed to thwart Ichigo and Grimmjow�

�Stop. I fear it as well. It�s why I�m in on this.�

She froze as he drew his torso up and leaned over her to press his lips against her temple. The jawbone around his neck accidentally grazed her ear with its sharp teeth and his lips immediately sealed over the tiny cut, lapping the drop of crimson away. Nanao shuddered and she felt him mould his frame tightly to hers, as if allowing even the smallest amount of space to come between them would be some unpardonable offence.

�There is only one solution... we win tomorrow, and that�s that.�

She wanted to laugh, to say that it might not be up to them if Yoruichi and Szayel�s plan worked or not, but he made a soft �hush� noise, speaking into her hair. The hand on her breast resumed stroking it as well, trying to soothe her, before it moved up to grab her chin between its thumb and forefinger.

Nanao turned to rest on her back and stared up into a pair of slate blue eyes filled with unrelenting determination.

�I refuse to see the life I and Lilinette have built here end. I made a promise to keep you alive, and if not losing is what it takes to keep you safe, then not losing is what I will have to do.�

She had never heard him speak with such conviction before. At that moment, it was almost as if Lilinette had control of his body, even though Nanao could tell the small, female half of the First was presently with Jushiro in the man�s study, still up despite the hour.

Of course, she doubted anyone would get any sleep tonight, save for those who remained blissfully unaware of what tomorrow would bring.

�However,� Starrk continued, �if Aizen somehow prevails, I do not wish for you to take your own life. You are a strong, intelligent woman, but more importantly, I know how much you care for those who follow you. You have a Division full of �children� who look to you for guidance. You are not the sort of person who would let her subordinates be annihilated. With such responsibilities and with such followers, you will never want for companionship.�

�I will lose this,� she protested in a weak voice, tentatively placing her palm against his chest. She tried to avoid touching the flesh that surrounded his Hollow hole and the hand on her chin went to cover hers. When he spoke, it seemed like he wanted to chide her, but his words ended up sounding wistful instead.

�You are beautiful, Ise Nanao, and powerful. I cannot fathom why others would not see what I do and seek your company.�

His head dipped and his mouth caught hers, before she could say anything that would mitigate his efforts to shoot down all of her doubts about the upcoming day. Instead, she allowed his tongue to make his case as to her desirability. When he pulled away, she was glassy-eyed and panting.

It also left what remained of her firm resolve to wait in shambles. This was familiar territory too, though she was sober and knew full well what giving into her impulses might bring.

�Hana was the only thing that kept me going, that kept me from��

She entwined her fingers with his, and brought both of their hands down to rest on her stomach. Starrk�s eyes followed their hands and she watched as realization dawned on him as to what she wanted.

�It�s a slim chance, but so was conceiving with Shunsui,� she whispered. �At least, this way, I won�t be alone if the worst happens.�

Starrk�s fingers pressed gently into the flesh below her navel, over the smooth skin there.

�Are you certain?�

Now he was the one who sounded wary, not quite believing that she would grant this so soon after her assertion in the park about taking their time.

�Yes,� she answered without hesitation, and then gave him a wry, half-smile. �You want �pups� if I�m to believe your more vocal half.�

�I will not lie. In the last week,� he admitted, �I have dreamed of what you would look like, with my child in your belly and a smile on your face, instead of grief� if you allowed it. I was the source of that grief once and I would not want to place it there again, for any reason.�

�Would it make a difference in how you fought if there was a chance that I could be pregnant?�

Sometimes, she wondered if Shunsui would have fought �smarter� had he known she was pregnant. Maybe he might not have thrown himself so recklessly against Starrk if he�d had a reason to come home.

�It would. I won�t deny it.�

�Then take me Starrk. I want... I want tonight to remind you to fight your hardest tomorrow.�

Starrk swallowed nervously, his eyes raking up and down her body. She felt his cock twitch against her hip as he drank in the sight of her lying bare and open before him and his earlier comment, about the fact he thought she was beautiful, deepened the flush that crept over her skin. The lamplight and her blush made her skin glow, even as the rumpled bedding cast shadows over her curves. The Espada pushed the blankets and sheets out of the way, revealing everything and for one disconcerting moment, she could see a vivid hunger growing in them. His voice was ragged as he finally planted his hand next to her shoulder, looming over her smaller, prone form.

�Only mates take each other face-to-face. If you desire me that way, I will not say no, but if I take you in such a position, it means that you are mine, and I will be yours, even if you cannot return a Claim.�

Nanao smiled up at him and in response to his warning, raised her right knee, sliding the inside of her leg against his outer thigh. She parted her legs for him, trapping his hips between them. His already weeping erection pressed into her lower belly, his pelvis having nowhere else to go but against hers.

�You forget, I can chain your power with my Kido, if only for a little while,� she murmured. �That has to count for something. Yes, I want this.�

Starrk suddenly pounced and took advantage of her startled reaction to get his tongue between her lips. He settled his weight between her spread legs and rubbed his cock against her slit as their tongues played with each other. She lifted her lower half up to help with the friction between their bodies and buried her fingers in his shaggy, brown hair.

�You once said mates prepare each other,� she gasped out when Starrk pulled back to breathe.

�Yes, they do.�

�Show me, now!�

She expected him to dig out the bottle of oil from the night stand and use his fingers. Instead he moved down her body, placing kisses here and there as he went, to settle between her parted thighs. Her eyes widened as his intent became clear. It was this moment that destroyed any lingering ghosts of her interlude with Shunsui. Starrk�s hands pushed against the backs of her thighs, moving them up and away. Doing so fully exposed her sex and for one brief second, she felt a flicker of embarrassment at having that part of her anatomy under such close scrutiny.

Then his mouth descended on her and her reservations quickly fled, dragging her shame with them. Nanao arched as his slippery tongue slid between her nether lips and proceeded upwards to end with a flick to her clit. She cried out and found her hands grasping desperately at the sheets as jolts of pleasure shot up her spine, one following another in blissful succession.

Starrk continued to torment her nub until her legs began to shake and her head thrashed back and forth on the pillows. Her dark hair covered her eyes and further reduced her world to one ruled by touch alone. He broke off suckling on her nub only to move his attention towards her inner folds, wetting them with his tongue and his saliva. Nanao moaned at the change, only to shriek when his tongue dipped an inch lower and plunged right into her channel. Sweat broke out over her body and she found her hips moving in time as he fucked her with his tongue. He also showed no sign of ending the delicious assault, though his mouth was rapidly drawing her body to a conclusion she wasn�t certain she could forestall. Nanao knew she was close to cumming; the building tension in the muscles of her lower belly, her thighs and the ones surrounding his questing tongue bringing her to the point of breaking.

Then Starrk pulled away completely. Eyes that she didn�t remember closing snapped open. She glared down at him at the loss of pleasure, only to have him crawl up her body and slide his tongue, still tasting of her juices, into her mouth. He gave her no time to think before the head of his cock nudged at her opening. Starrk entered her swiftly, with far more confidence than what he had shown her the first, and up until now, only time they had done this. She moaned at the invasion and deliberately tightened her inner walls around the shaft within her, groping in vain for the orgasm he�d just denied her. Starrk shivered and hissed, then stilled, grumbling another warning into her mouth about making him finish too quickly if she kept doing that.

She relaxed and wrapped her arms around him. One hand played with his shoulder-length brown hair, the lamplight creating golden highlights in it as she toyed with a strand. Nanao placed the other against his shoulder, smoothing her fingers down to rest against the hard muscles of his back.

The Arrancar, in turn, shifted his hips, seeking a better angle, before he began moving. It was much different from when he�d Claimed her. There was no injection of reiatsu, no immediate flaring of mind-numbing pleasure along her nervous system that threatened to burn out her brain and her body with its intensity, to the exclusion of all else. This time she could feel the glide of his shaft as it slid in and out of her channel. The thick head at the end of his shaft brushed in a steady rhythm against the small, sensitive spots within her, slowly rebuilding her climax from the bottom up and taking its sweet time to do it.

His motions were far surer as he picked up the pace, keeping her legs far apart and Nanao breathing heavily as her flesh clung to his. Starrk braced himself above her, and soon his body was soaked with as much sweat as hers with his efforts. This was far more personal than being taken from behind. Nanao liked looking up to find his eyes riveted on her bouncing breasts, seeing unbridled lust for her burning there instead of the usual ennui. It was then she realized another major difference between Starrk and Shunsui, one that saddened her in some ways. Had she known them both at the same time, she would have chosen Starrk over Hana�s father.

Shunsui had looked on her with affection, but it had always had a certain amount of �knowingness� to it, as if he were the one in control, who would guide things to the destination of his choosing. Maybe that had been why she�d held off giving in to his constant flirting and his endless attempts to charm his way into her bed and her hakama.

Coyote Starrk, in contrast, had the sort of control over her that would have terrified her in years past, but he�d refrained from doing anything with it. He lacked Shunsui�s sly charm, his tricky wit and when she spoke to Starrk, there was a decided lack of innuendo in his answers.

Instead, she saw sincerity. There was wonder in Starrk�s eyes when he looked at her or touched her, as if he couldn�t quite believe he was good enough for her. Having a companion for whom one felt passion, she realized, was as new to him as it was to her and it wasn�t just the sex. She wasn�t the novice she�d been with Shunsui. Despite his age, Starrk did not have Shunsui�s years of experience with women to draw upon and thus, she wasn�t intimidated. They were, in this case, equals, which made this all the more special.

It would be different than what she knew Grimmjow and Karin shared, and certainly less vocal, but stronger marriages had been built on less than what they�d already shared while at the Estate. Nanao pressed upwards with her hips as Starrk�s thrusts became deeper and erratic, indicating he was close. Taking him as a �mate� was more than fine with her, especially if she could look forward to this on a regular basis.

She pulled his head down for a deep kiss, trying to convey her thoughts and feelings through the Claim that surrounded her. Then she laid back to enjoy the bewildered look on his face as his cock pulsed violently inside of her and filled her belly and womb with his essence. A moment later, Nanao surrendered to her orgasm with a moan, gripping his biceps and nearly breaking her nails on his Hierro. Her fluttering, twitching walls cradled the Espada�s pulsing cock, enveloping her body in wave after wave of satisfaction that didn�t seem to want to end. When Starrk�s shaking body had ejaculated every last drop of cum into her, he collapsed. His forehead rested against her throat and his breath warmed the spot between her breasts. She felt his scruffy goatee brush against her damp skin, almost but not quite enough to tickle.

�Nanao�� she heard him groan weakly. �That��

She rolled over to nestle against his side, sighing with contentment as she soaked in his body heat.

��was wonderful,� she exhaled, aware that his arms had snaked around her. �So good��

The last thing she recalled was Starrk�s low-pitched voice, quietly promising her that he would do what he had to do, to protect his new mate, to protect the pups she might carry and to protect their pack, not matter what. The vows that spilled from his lips tumbled over one another, becoming a pleasant buzz that accompanied her down into a dreamless sleep, maybe the best sleep she�d had in years.

Lilinette grimaced at the board before her as she watched Jushiro hop his red marble over six others, two green and four red, before calmly taking a sip of his tea and indicating it was her turn. That irritated her. She wasn�t dumb. She knew it was her turn. It was only the two of them playing after all. Unfortunately, that made the game boring. Chinese checkers was much more exciting when Hana and Ajuga were around and they had more stones. Two more players meant a livelier game.

Still, Starrk was with Nanao, so Lilinette conceded that asking them to leave off what they were doing was probably a bad idea, at least at present. Based on the reiatsu she felt seething on the other side of the house, Starrk had finally gotten his ass in gear about planting a pup in Nanao�s womb.

It was about damned time too. She�d give into the temptation to pull her hair out if she had to sit and watch Nanao and Starrk dance around each other much longer. There were times that Lilinette hated having to be the Primera�s brains and its backbone. Nanao wanted their pups, if the eyes she made at Starrk were any indication of her willingness and Lilinette definitely wanted a few new, small faces around the Estate. Caring for Hana and Ajuga had been an extraordinarily fun time for the little Arrancar. Hana�s mother was a good, healthy, attentive bitch and Starrk couldn�t have picked a better female to Claim. As much as Lilinette hated Aizen, she would have to admit, grudgingly, that the bastard�s law had provided a necessary kick in the tail for the scruffy mutt.

It was just her annoying luck that Starrk was the more �human� of the two of them and had a tendency to overthink things when it came to dealing with others. Lilinette didn�t care how he went about it, though she wasn�t keen on using violence, mostly because she really, really liked Nanao-chan. All she cared about was that Starrk did what she sadly couldn�t, which involved creating the next generation. Was it so much to ask of her male half to get off his duff and do that much?

She stared at the board, the multi-coloured marbles reminding her of dabs of paint in the shape of a six-pointed star and pouted. If the overwhelmingly powerful Vasto Lorde they�d once been had done a better job of dividing itself in two, she and Jushiro would probably be doing something similar. Alas, she�d never quite figured out if their progenitor had wanted to create a mate for itself, one that could endure the power of the other, or a child. Considering her body and its size and shape, she suspected the latter, though her gender would suggest something else. It would have been so much easier on Jushiro and Starrk if the creature had decided on the former. What repercussions that would have had for the two-who-had-once-been-one she wasn�t sure. Besides, Lilinette liked the �indulgent uncle � beloved niece� vibe she and Jushiro had going between them.

It would be a waste of time to want something different. She also thought that she might be better off like this, rather than having to go through all of the mental and emotional gymnastics that came with an adult body.

�Lilinette?�

�Yeah, yeah, I�m thinking,� Shiro-chan. Gimme a second.�

�Oh well,� she reflected. �It is what it is and there�s no changing it, though I�m stuck with playin� games as a way of takin� our pet�s mind offa tomorrow, instead of shaggin� him.�

She�d trotted into Jushiro�s study after dinner, with the game board, the pieces and a grin, only to find him reading a book she knew he�d read many times before. Then she�d looked closer and discovered the book was upside down. It didn�t take a genius to figure out he was worrying himself out of a good night�s sleep and Starrk and Nanao�s reiatsu coming together wasn�t helping matters. If she was stuck in the role of a niece with Shiro-chan, Nanao was as good as his daughter and Lilinette had learned, mostly by observing Grimmjow and Ajuga, that one just didn�t mess around with a daughter and not expect to worry her papa.

Hence, a rousing game of Chinese checkers. It wasn�t as cerebral as chess or as time-consuming as shoji and if this game got any more tedious, it would put her to sleep.

The Shinigami across the board needed the distraction from the activity taking place down the hall. She needed the distraction from the battle that was going to take place tomorrow, since she�d be with Starrk as part of his Resurrección if he needed her� and he probably would need her.

Jushiro didn�t like it. Starrk didn�t like it either, but then, he didn�t like fighting in the first place and liked it less when he had to involve her. That was another annoying thing about Starrk�s excessive humanity� his stupid and misplaced sense of chivalry. Keeping Nanao out of things was fine; she could bear cubs and she was nowhere near as strong as Lilinette and Stark were when they combined their forms, but to try to prevent her from getting into the thick of it with him? That was just too much for Lilinette. She wouldn�t stand for it and had no intention of letting him do this on his own.

After all, they had a bone to pick with that would-be �Kami� over what he�d done to Jushiro. She suspected Jushiro wanted some payback too and Lilinette wanted to be there when that payback arrived. Maybe she�d even get to dish out a few explosions, one for every time Aizen had messed with their pack.

Both Starrk and Jushiro would be at the Palace, acting as backup assassins if Grimmjow and Ichigo failed and the barrier that Hachi and Hana-chan spent so much time on went down. Assuming Szayel would still be able to pull off his part of the plan, it would be up to her, Starrk and Jushiro to finish the job. They had to protect the two keeping the barrier up as well, so if things got to that point, it would mean they�d failed to protect Hana and the Vizard Kido master. That wasn�t going to happen on her watch.

Screwing up wasn�t an option. There would be no leniency if they botched this. Instead, they would be executed, along with Jushiro, who would follow them after Aizen forced him to watch the bastard snuff every member of his Division.

�But we ain�t going to fail. We are going to kick Aizen�s ass back to the dawn of time, then right out of existence,� she promised herself as she picked up a green marble and hopped it over four stones to get closer to her home end of the board. �Then, in all likelihood, we�re gonna have ta deal with Barragan, that crazy old bugger. Not lookin� forward to that shit at all.�

�Lilinette� did you know you�re growling?�

The softly-spoken query startled her and she immediately clamped down on the animalistic �grrr� coming from the back of her throat. She�d done it unconsciously, and her cheeks pinked up until they matched the color of her one eye.

�Well, that�s just nifty. Can�t let my temper get the best of me. Not tonight.�

To cover her embarrassment, she did what she normally did: turn the tables on the person doing the asking.

�What of it? You nervous?�

She watched him skip another one of his own marbles before taking another sip of his tea.

�Perhaps,� he conceded, smiling fondly at her. �There is always tension before a battle, whether that battle is great or small. I believe that this will be the second most important fight in which I�ve participated. Some trepidation is to be expected.�

�Second?�

Lilinette moved her marble over an impressive eight stones. She puffed her chest out with pride at the accomplishment. Jushiro nodded at the play, as if he was glad she�d seen the opening, which immediately made her wary.

�The first was the Winter War,� he informed her, studying the board for a moment before picking one of his stones and moving it. �We lost, and as a result, hundreds of thousands of people, humans and Shinigami alike, lost their lives. If we lose this one, well, the loss of life will be minimal, but the fate of the universe will be just as dismal.�

Jushiro looked down at the half empty teacup he was nursing, after moving his marble. He held his shoulders lower and Lilinette would bet her horn that he was reliving that devastating defeat. That wasn�t going to cut it, as far as she was concerned. Uncle or not, it looked as if he was going to need her special brand of motivation, the one she used all the time on her other, lazier half.

Lilinette looked daggers at the white-haired Taichou, reached over the board and smacked him on top of the head with a clenched fist. The slight blow, more to break him out of his funk that to hurt him, made him fumble his teacup, though he manage to regain control of it before it could spill.

�BAKA! This battle is gonna be even easier than that one, isn�t it? So if you barely lost back then, you should be able to kick ass this time!� she barked, jumping to her feet and pointing an accusing finger at him. Jushiro�s stunned expression was almost worth the act of bopping him. Sometimes one just had to whack some sense into someone who looked like they were bent on pursuing defeat, rather than victory.

�Easier huh?�

�Of course it�s gonna be easier this time! This time, you got Starrk and me at your back! We ain�t going to lose and Aizen is going to pay for ripping our pack apart and trying to blind you,� she snarled, putting her hands on her hips in a stance that she hoped would convey how much better off he was going to be fighting with the First, rather than against her and Starrk. It was hard to look like the picture of confidence when she was so short, but that didn�t mean she wasn�t going to try.

�That is true.�

She glared at him, for while his words sounded right, his voice lacked real conviction.

�I won�t have you moping all night about this!� Lilinette nearly shouted and gave him her fiercest frown. �We are gonna win! Now say it with me! VICTORY!�

She shouted, thrusting her fist up into the air and throwing him a challenging look.

�Victory,� Jushiro repeated and she ground her teeth together, shaking her head.

�SAY IT LIKE YA MEAN IT, SHIRO-CHAN! VICTORY!� she roared and pumped her fist into the air.

�Victory,� Jushiro repeated, raising his own hand into the air as well. Lilinette rolled her lone eye. She�d seen overcooked noodles with more verve than their pet exhibited.

�LOUDER!� she demanded, putting both hands on the table and leaning forward. A feral smile crept across her face. �Say it like yer carving him into little, bitty chunks, Shiro-chan! I KNOW YA CAN DO IT!�

�Victory!� they both shouted, pumping their fists and showing one another their best �war faces�. Lilinette made him repeat it four more times, eventually getting him to bellow out the affirmation on the last round.

It wasn�t perfect, but as she�d learned, sometimes one just had to work with what one had on hand. She plopped back down on her cushion, smirking in triumph at the amused sparkle that was now glittering in his eyes. His morose mood was gone, which had been the point, so she considered it a success.

�My move, Shiro-chan,� she declared, motioning towards the board and the game they�d neglected in favour of an impromptu pep rally.

�So it is, Lilinette-chan.�

�It�s Lilinette-sama to you,� she corrected.

They spent the rest of the evening trying to best one another, battling back and forth in a �best-two-out-of-three� set of games. She felt Starrk and Nanao�s tangled reiatsu peak and then simmer down, indicating that they were finally ready to slumber and that Starrk had done his best to fuck Nanao�s fretting into submission beneath him.

�Good work, Starrk. Now fight for what ya just took, ya indolent git.�

Her other half wasn�t going to give up Nanao and she�d be damned if she was going to let Shiro-chan get all wishy-washy on her when they had a job to do.

If it came to it, she�d bloody well drag them both to victory by their hair.

Welcome to the start of The Night Before Tomorrow chapters, where each one will focus on a different couple or character as they spend what could be their last night together. I decided to post these in a week instead of making you all go through seven weeks of basically smut, which while good, can get tedious. After these chapters the final battle will begin.
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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