Post by Captain Tsukiro Ashimitsu on Nov 4, 2014 22:22:47 GMT -6
“Homecoming”
The moment Tsukiro stepped foot inside the gates of the Shihoin palace, the palace’s inhabitants and servants started running around like beheaded chickens, crying “The Lord has returned!” all throughout the grounds and halls. He was offered food and drink and a dozen other luxuries and commodities by at least twenty servants. He turned down all of them politely with a smile.
“My Lord, would you care for—“
“No, thank you,” he said for the thirtieth time. He sighed and looked around, then turned back to the female servant. “However, I would like to know where I might find Kaori. Do you know where she is?”
The girl bowed deeply once more. “Yes, my lord. She is in her gardens. Should I send word to her that you are here to see her?”
He shook his head. “No. I will surprise her.”
He dismissed anymore offerings and questions and proceeded on to Kaori’s gardens near her chambers.
When he arrived in the north wing where the Shihoin family members’ chambers were, he looked up at the towering building that was where Kaori’s chambers and private rooms were located. It used to be Yoruichi’s when she was still the ruler of the clan. Now it had been given to Kaori. His own chambers as joint ruler of the clan was also located in the main building. He headed in that direction, stopping just before he entered the building and circled around towards the courtyard, then followed the grassy path to the large, flourishing gardens.
He walked around on the path, looking out across the tall greenery and flora, looking for the familiar dark violet hair of his childhood friend and first love. After a bit of looking around, he finally found her sitting amongst the bleeding heart flowers. He smiled and quietly walked up to her. When he was right behind her, he knelt down and wrapped his arms around her. She jumped and grabbed his arms, looking back. When she saw his smiling face, she sighed and laughed in relief and surprise.
“Don’t do that!” She punched him in the arm as he pulled back. Tsukiro chuckled, grabbing his arm. She smiled at him and threw her arms around him. “Tsukiro. It so good to finally see you again. How have you been doing?”
“I’ve been doing,” he said as he stood up, pulling her up with him.
She gave him a stern look that knew he wasn’t telling her everything. “Tell me.”
He sighed, smiling. “Can’t get anything past you, can I?” Her eyes narrowed and he sighed, his smile falling. He looked down at the grass underneath their feet. “Kita and I… We… I lost her.”
Kaori’s expression morphed from attentive to shocked and mortified. She put her arms around his torso, pressing her cheek to his chest. Tsukiro put his arms around her as well, placing his chin on her head.
“I’m so sorry. I know you loved her dearly.” She pulled back enough to look up at him. “What happened?”
He sighed, shaking his head. “The same thing that happened a century ago. Aizen happened.” When he saw the horrified look on her face he shook his head. “No, she’s not dead. But… she’s not the same, so I suppose you could say the old Kita is dead. But… Aizen wants something she has… and we all know how that goes. He stripped her apart and rebuilt her the way he needs her, and he’s not even done yet. He’s fucked with her head and tore her apart mentally and emotionally. And I… I didn’t know how to deal with it. She doesn’t remember me. I couldn’t go through loosing someone I love again.”
As Kaori saw Tsukiro’s eyes gloss over she raised her hands to his face, her own eyes sad for him. “Why? Why you? Why does it always have to be you that takes the pain for Aizen’s actions?”
Tsukiro took her hands and held them. “It’s not just me, Kaori. There are other people who have had it much worse than I have. Kita has had it worse than I have. So have Captain Ukitake, Captain Hitsugaya, and Kisuke and Yoruichi.”
Kaori blinked, thinking that over, then shook her head, tears threatening to fall. “That may be true. But you and Kita… You were so happy with her. I was happy for you. You were finally starting to smile more when you met her. And now Aizen has taken even that from you. Why did it have to be Kita? She didn’t deserve to be torn apart from you and everyone else that loves her. You don’t deserve this. Why can’t he just let you be happy?”
He kissed her forehead, pulling her into his chest as she cried. “Million dollar question you just asked, Kaori. One that I still haven’t been able to answer.” He looked down at her, smiling sadly. “Why do you do this? You always cry when I don’t.”
She pulled back and wiped her face angrily with the sleeve of her expensive and extravagant kimono. “Because you’re such a good person. You have the biggest heart I’ve ever seen. All you want is to be happy. And it seems like no matter what you do, it always blows up in your face. It’s not fair! Here I am living a life of luxury with fancy kimonos, great food, and entertainment as far as the eye can see. I have all the things that should make someone happy, and yet all you go through is pain and suffering. It’s not fair!”
Tsukiro pulled her arm away and pulled out a white handkerchief. He wiped her face gently as she sniffed. “You know, there’s not a person in all of existence who has said the words you say to me. People always tell me to grow up and grow a pair—to toughen up and be strong. But you’re the only one who’s ever said that what happens to me isn’t fair or just. When other people tell me to get over it, here you are saying that I deserve better. It still astounds me to this day. Some days I don’t know who to listen to.”
“But you do!” She said a bit loudly, looking up at him with what was now an enraged expression. “I’ve never seen you as happy as you were when Lady Aoisuki and Ryushiro were still alive and cousin Yoruichi and Kisuke were still around. I wish Sosuke Aizen would just die already!”
Tsukiro’s eyes went wide, then he grabbed Kaori’s arm and pulled her so close her nose almost touched his. “Don’t you ever say that again!”
“But he deserves to—“
“Even so, I don’t ever want those words to come out of your mouth! It’s more than enough that I say it. I don’t want words of hate tainting your soul too. I hate myself when I say it, but I can’t keep myself from feeling the tremendous amount of hate that I do. Leave that judgment to those who are equipped to do so. Understand?”
Kaori didn’t respond, she only wiped her face with her sleeve again and twisted her arm so that she was the one grabbing his wrist. She pulled him out of the gardens and towards the tower. “Since you’re here, I’m going to do everything in my power to make you as happy as possible until you decide to leave again. And no buts! If you don’t like it, too bad!”
Tsukiro looked at her bemusedly as he was dragged off. Then he smiled and chuckled. “Whatever you say, Kitsune. You know I can’t say no to you.”
Whatever makes, YOU happy.
---
Tsukiro sat on Kaori’s luxurious king sized bed with four posts and a violet curtain surrounding the four sides. Her bedroom was at least four times bigger than his dorm room at the Squad Ten barracks. It was decorated with lush, white carpeting, lavender walls with dark blue trim and white oak furniture with orange, red and brown maple leaf designs painted in to them. A light incense burned in the corner on her vanity—a sweet maple and brown sugar scent. The windows were open but the lavender curtains were mostly drawn. Kaori was in her bathroom the next room over, changing into “something more comfortable.” Those words from the mouth of a Shihoin female always worried him. They had when Yoruichi said them. Kaori saying them was no different. It always meant something revealing and lacking in certain areas that he’d rather not be tricked into staring at. Though, now that he thought about it, when Kaori said it, his expectations were usually a lot worse than the reality when she walked out, given that Yoruichi had one time said those exact words and had walked out with NOTHING on. Not even undergarments. His cheeks burning instantly, he grabbed one of her throw pillows and covered his face, falling back onto the bed, screaming into the pillow. Yoruichi and Kaori would be the death of him.
Suddenly he heard Kaori chuckle. A chill crawled up his spine. That laugh was so much like her cousin’s. Daring to look at her, he peeked out from under the pillow to see her dressed in a white kimono that was left partly open at the chest, showing her cleavage, and short, thin, white hakama that reached only just below her knees. If she kept her knees together, it looked like a skirt. The sleeves of her kimono were short, to her elbows. From her elbows to her wrists were white arm warmers. Her long, dark violet hair was out of its usual fancy updo; it fell around her face and shoulders. Her golden eyes were warm and playful as always. He could have sworn her tanned skin showed through the white of her clothes. Suddenly and abruptly, he was reminded of just how beautiful she was. He pulled the pillow way and sat up again, looking at her open mouthed.
Again, she laughed. She raised her hands, gesturing to herself. “Were you expecting something sexier?”
Again, his cheeks burned and he looked away. “Well, duh. You and Yoruichi always have a bad habit of underdressing. And you know how Yoruichi loves to wear only her own skin most of the time.”
Kaori chuckled again and walked over to him. “Maybe I should strut around in my birthday suit too.” She laughed hard when she saw the horrified look on his face. She sat down next to him and turned his face by his cheek so he was looking at her again. “You’re adorable when you’re shy.”
He gave her a look. “This is coming from someone who doesn’t even know the meaning of shy.” She winked and he smiled at her. He pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her waist. She put her arms around his neck. “I missed you. You’ve been the one constant in my life. Yet I haven’t been constant in yours. I’m extremely sorry for that.”
She shook her head, smiling. “No. I don’t blame you for staying away. I don’t like staying here all the time either.” Tsukiro rolled his eyes and tried to speak, but she put her finger to his mouth. “I know that’s not what you meant, but let’s just say it is.”
He smiled and kissed the finger that rested on his lips. He took her hand and kissed her other fingers, then the palm of her hand. “I actually came here because I needed to know something.” He looked up at her with a bit of a worried expression. “Are you still in love with me?”
He expected her to be upset or angry, or something, but he did not expect her to laugh. He blinked. “Of course I am. What, did you think that time away from me would make me fall out of love with you?” When he went to speak, she kissed him on the mouth. Before he could stop himself, he was melting into the kiss, his hand in her hair, his mouth working against hers. “I will always love you. And I know why you’re here. You want to know if you still have me to come back to if things between you and Kita don’t work out.”
Tsukiro’s eyes went wide. He felt like a deer caught in the headlights. “Kaori, I—“
Again, she cut him off with a kiss. “Baka. You always have me. You’ll never lose me. I’ll always be here when you need me. So don’t feel like you’re retreating back to your second best, because I don’t see it that way. Okay?”
He couldn’t find anything to say, so he just kissed her out of relief. He fell back on the bed, taking her with him. She laid on top of him, her hands on his chest, legs tangled with his. He continued to kiss her, his hands in her hair, then moving down her back to her waist. She hummed through the kiss, her hands exploring his chest.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered to her as he continued to kiss her.
She shook her head, her hand going up to his cheek as she looked into his eyes. “Don’t be. I’m not angry or upset or jealous or anything. I just want you to be happy, whether that means you’re with me or Kita or anyone else. Just be happy okay? That’s all I need from you is for you to be happy.”
Tsukiro gazed up at her for a moment while her words set with him. Then he rolled them over and looked down at her as he hovered over her. She smiled up at him and reached up to caress his face. He leaned down and kissed her passionately, humming at the taste of her. He continued to kiss her roughly, his hands moving up her body to her hair where one tangled in it, tilting her head so he could kiss her more deeply. The other trailed back down to lift one of her legs up over his hip. She lifted her other leg to join him. His hand rested on her hip, his thumb drawing circles on her side through her kimono. She moaned into his mouth, lifting her body up to meet his while using her legs to get him to lower down onto him. He did as she wanted and laid his body over hers, letting most of his weight rest against her. He kissed across her jaw to her ear, nibbling on the lob and licking the rim. She hummed, one hand in his hair and the other resting on his back. He moved down to her neck and latched onto her flesh. She moaned as he sucked hard, leaving a love bite that was barely visible on her dark skin.
He lifted his head and looked at the dark spot on her tanned skin that could have passed for a tan spot or a smudge of dirt. He ran his thumb over the spot, kissing her cheek.
“You know that I can’t make love to you, right?” He sighed a he said this, a look of both sadness and guilt layered in his eyes.
Kaori caressed his face, kissing him sweetly. “I know. You still feel for her. You still hope that you two will be okay. And I want that for you. But if it doesn’t work out, I will be here if you need me.” She grinned. “Besides, we never ended up at that base even when you didn’t know Kita. We could kiss and touch for hours and we would still end up only snuggling.”
They both laughed at that. It was true. They never felt a need to have a sexual aspect to their relationship. That hadn’t changed, even at that moment. So they crawled up to her pillows and laid down together, Kaori curled into his side and Tsukiro holding her against him, stroking her hair, kissing her forehead.
Suddenly his thoughts landed on a particularly vivid memory that he was surprised hadn’t faded even the slightest in the past century.
“Do you remember the first day we met? You strutted up and kissed me on the mouth, saying that you wanted one of my mother’s son’s to have your first kiss. Then, later on, when Ryushiro was playing with his paints and canvases and my mother was making lunch, you told me that since you were a princess, you would make me your prince?”
Kaori chuckled, raising her head and kissing his cheek. “I remember. I think about that day all the time.”
Tsukiro smiled. Then his smile fell as a feeling of guilt washed over him again. “I’m sorry. I know you always thought of us being together freely. I know you always wanted us to have a future together. And then I left for someone else.”
Kaori sat up quickly, looking down at him, shaking her head. “No, Tsukiro. No, that’s not how I feel. Not at all. Not even close.” She brushed his hair back. “You’re still my prince, even now. We may not be together together, but we’re still a team. You’re still my best friend. You’re still my first and only choice. And if I have to wait forever for you, I will.”
He sat up and brushed her cheek with his fingers. “Why do I always get the great women? The ones that I don’t deserve?”
Kaori smiled and kissed him. “Because you’re amazing, even though you don’t know it. You’re one in a million.”
He smiled back, rubbing his nose with hers. “I hope you’re right. Because that’s who I’ll need to be to get Kita back.”
They spent the rest of the day holed up in Kaori’s chambers and their tower with no one to bother them and nothing to do but to catch up with each other. The whole day, Kaori spoiled Tsukiro, doing her damnedest to make sure he left one hundred times better than when he came.
By the next morning, when Tsukiro left while Kaori was still sleeping, he did feel healed and rejuvenated. He looked over to Kaori, still sleeping, and smiled. He leaned down and kissed her, whispering words of love and apology. He then sat to her vanity and took a piece of paper and a pen and wrote her a short letter. He folded it and signed his name, to her, then placed it next to her pillow in his empty spot. He left without a trace, heading to his next destination.
--END RP--