Bleach: The Captain Part Two & Three, Toshiro Hitsugaya x OC

Chapter 7: Another Way Out

I'm not sure if Kensei took the scenic route back to my place or if he got lost along the way but it took him hours to get back. By that time, we had only thirty minutes to go before we had to leave and I was feeling nervous. I was amazed he had put any trust in me keeping my word. Heck if I was being honest, I surprised myself when I didn't bolt out the door the minute he left. As if he could read my mind, Kensei pipped up. 

"I can't believe you're still here." He sat on the edge of a chair, lacing up his boots. He grabbed the pair of black socks I had provided him, looking at my feet before meeting my stare with an odd look. "Exactly why am I putting socks over my shoes again? Shouldn't it be the other way around?"

I rolled my eyes. "You've clearly never been on assignment with the second division before have you? This-," I jumped up and down, landing soundlessly each time, "-is how you stay silent. It's not pretty but it works."

Kensei finished pulling the socks over his own boots. He jumped a few times for his own self assurance and chuckled. Kensei had on a similar leather jacket and black jeans, he had rolled up a balaclava and wore it like a hat, covering his tousled brown hair. I approved of his attire instantly; he'd blend into the night perfectly if it wasn't for his alarmingly bright blue eyes. 

I'd momentarily forgotten what I was doing when Kensei arrived so I turned my attention again to the stack of boxes I had scattered around my living room. I tossed things left and right immune to the mess I was creating. Where did I put it again?

"I'll admit the socks are a pretty cunning idea, but when have you ever been on assignment with the second division?" Kensei joined me, grabbing a box of his own to sort through. 

I paused, debating whether I really wanted to talk about my private life with him. . . given our history. He was probably only asked out of curiosity, but I didn't want the line blurring between us again. The last thing I needed at this moment was him getting the wrong idea.

"My brother did a long time ago. I just remembered a few tips is all." I shrugged.

Kensei pulled out a picture from one of the boxes and raised it to the fire light for a better look. 

"Was that Keisuke or Yuki?" he asked.

". . .Yuki." I said curtly, a little uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation. 

Relax, Akira. You did just tell him a lot about Yuki and he's bound to ask questions so let him. 

Maybe I was feeling like this because Kensei was the first person I could really confide in and he looked willing to listen. I reached into another box and found the backpack I had been searching for. Wordlessly, I pointed to a pile on the floor and asked Kensei to grab them. I decided to elaborate on my first statement when Kensei wouldn't stop staring. 

"When Yuki was a Soul Reaper, he'd sometimes do odd jobs for other divisions. . .work experience I guess you'd call it. He ended up doing a few assignments with the Second Division and one of them required him to dress kinda like this. He did all his preparations at home so I got to watch and I picked up a few ideas."

"You must be really happy he's alive," Kensei commented.

"Happy isn't really the word I'd use." I admitted. 

Kensei stopped grabbing things and looked up at me with surprise. "You'd rather he was dead?"

I grabbed the rest of the items from his hands and unceremoniously stuffed them in the backpack. "Of course I'm happy he's alive but feeling happy about it is . . . is selfish! What I did to Yuki was selfish! I took his Zanpakuto from him and ran away from him while he was dying! He went through hell for fifty years because of me. Happy isn't the right emotion to describe it, vindicated maybe, but not happy." I wound a length of rope around my arm and stuffed it in the bag, mad at myself for the direction the conversation had taken.