- Chapter 19 -

Confession Aftermath

Miyori

"Because I love you..." I whispered in a low tone, my muscles relaxing and my heart beating faster. Wait, DID I JUST SAY THAT?! My eyes widened like huge plates in the realization of the moment, hand covering my mouth to prevent the words come out from my mouth but it was already too late.

I had confessed.

My body took automatically a huge step back, just to see the reaction of the slightly taller male. Well, his reaction was the expected one that I imagined it would be. His mouth hanging open, his eyes staring at me dumbfounded and his whole body not moving a single inch.

I bit my bottom lip hard, wanting blood to appear so I could release the pain of my aching heart. His reaction was telling me everything. My crush was one-sided. He didn't like me back.

The nervous and awkward silence was broken by the sudden appearance of Toshiro's Lieutenant, Rangiku's.

"Taichou, Captain Commander sent a valuable and shocking informa--" she started saying but she was cut off by me who had turned around and passed by her, not paying attention at my surroundings.

Vision blurry, shaking hands and legs, flustered face from anger. That's everything that could describe myself that moment. I jumped off of the roof and landed on my feet-- I almost fell down because of my weak gigai but I didn't mind it that moment. All I want is everything to disappear.

Suddenly, I bumped on an unexpected visitor who was coming towards Urahara's shop. I looked up and saw Ichigo looking down at me, a small shock appearing on his until now calm face when he saw my flustered and wet from crying expression.

"Mi...yori?" he asked shocked, eyes narrowing at me in pure confusion and mouth hanging open slightly.

But I didn't stay there to explain to him my sudden change of mood. I passed by him and quickly rushed towards Orihime's house where I could feel everyone's presence.

Ba-thump.

My heart beat became faster. Toshiro had just joined them too. I ignored my obvious heart throbbing feeling which was like a pain right into my chest and flash-stepped until I entered Orihime's house. Some heads turned to look at me but they quickly turned their attention to the wide screen which was placed on the back of the living room.

I changed to my spiritual form and placed my gigai gently on the floor, then approached Ikkaku and patted his shoulder. "Ikkaku, what's the meaning of this?"

His eyes stayed glued on the screen while he was answering to me. "Head Captain Yamamoto summoned us here because of an important meeting he wanted to occur. The reasons are still unknown" the bald male explained, his dark eyes drifting finally on my tiny figure.

A small sigh escaped my mouth and I sat on the floor, torned out from the flash-stepping from before. I swear, even if Commander Yamamoto says that my reiatsu levels are abnormaly high, I don't have a shit of stamina in me. Ah, why didn't I attend some practise before I came here~?

Suddenly, the door opened with force and revealed the exhausted Ichigo who stared at us like something shocking had happened. I stared at him with surprise-- I had so many days to see him or even hear something from him that I have missed him. Despite that, I turned my attention to the flickering screen which was showing nothing but black-white lines, glimmering on the large furniture.

The screen flickered a bit more before it showed us normal surroundings from Seiretei and a tall white-haired male with a small frown on his face. Everyone recognised him with pure shock; Captain Ukitake was in the screen without the Head Captain. Not being interested at their business, I started staring at the creamy colored wall.

Minutes passed and before I could understand anything, voices raised up their tones and yelled at the enormous screen in front of us. Captain Commander had made his appearance on the screen and Ichigo was shouting and screaming like a crazy gal at him. My reflexes made me take a step front so I could snap Ichigo out of that, but Renji was the one who stopped Ichigo's nonsense.

My muscles relaxed and I decided to pay attention to the joy killers- just in case they would put me write an examination test on that or something.

"....I, Abarai Renji, Squad 6 Vice-captain and member of Hitsugaya's advance squad will go to Hueco Mundo in order to open the eyes of the traitor Orihime Inoue!" Renji's clear and loud voice echoed around the room and I swear; if I was drinking a tea, I would have spitted it all on Ikkaku who was in front of me.

Hueco Mundo? Traitor Inoue Orihime? What the heck?! I thought with an 'are-you-kidding-meh?!' look while my mind was ready to blow up from the over-thinking. And of course, Commander's answer was negative. Yeah, like hell he would allow Renji to go alone in Hieco Mundo, fight all the Espadas that almost smashed him last time and make Orihime sane again. Did you hear the sarcasm in my voice?

To my own surprise, a gate opened to the side of the room and two large figures with an incredible amount of reiatsu stepped in the room, their eyes sending dangerous daggers at the rest of us. Chills travelled down my spine, their glares burning holes in my skull.

"That's how it's gonna be. Get going, you guys" the deep and loud voice of the enormous Captain Zaraki commanded, his eyes now looking boredly at the wall. (A/N: Nuuuuuhhh, the wall is more interesting! >u<)

Captain Byakuya looked down at us, obvious disgust and danger flickering in his emotionless eyes. "Do not resist. If necessary, we have orders to bring you back by force"

A small sigh of defeat left my mouth; guess my trip to the Human World had just ended. I was the first one to walk in the gate but a certain someone had already made his way right in front of me; his snowy white hair right in front of my face and the number ten written in Japanese on his back.

My throbbing heart started aching again like the unhealed wounds of despair I was keeping deep inside me. Who said that everything has a good ending?

>> Timeskip >>

A loud noise was heard when I fell on the couch exhausted, my legs hurting from running in the gate and my neck being in pain because of my previous yellings and tears that were shed. I glanced at the white sleeve of my haori; I still cannot believe that I'm a Captain. Well, that means that from tomorrow, my usual routine is back. Paperwork, announcements, paperwork, lunch break with Kira, paperwork, training-- did I mention paperwork?

The door opened with a small creaking sound and revealed the blonde-haired Lieutenant of 3rd Division, Kira Izuru, who walked to my side with a small cup in his hands. He sat besides the large couch and shook the small cup in front of my eyes. "I brought you some tea, Taichou (= captain)."

I groaned slightly, crawling my hand up and grabbing weakly the round cup, bringing it in front of my mouth and taking a small sip of the hot drink. When my eyes drifted on Kira again, his head was tilted to the side and he was looking at me with a raised eyebrow, like I was a fifteen year old who got back at home late at night.

I returned the raised eyebrow and we kept staring at each other, when I finally decided to break the annoying silence. "Yosh, what's wrong?!"

Kira sighed softly and looked at me with a strict look. "Taichou, you tell me what is wrong. This isn't your normal behaviour. Normally, you would have glomped me after such a long time but... you just sat on your couch without saying a word. Not to mention the depression and gloomy aura which is making me want to go out and breathe"

Another groan of defeat left my mouth and I burried my face in the nearest pillow, trying to hide the same of my confession-- which is yet unknown to the others, thankyousomuchgod! I finally took the courage and decided to tell Kira about what have happened in Karakura Town. His eyes widened slightly at the part of the confession but they were replaced with a hard glare when he heard Toshiro's reaction and behaviour towards me the past few days.

When I finished my speech, Kira looked at me with a completely empty expression, his chin resting on his palm. "Hmpff...." he mumbled in a muffled voice, a small sweadrop rolling down my head.

"What?"

"Hmpf...."

"What is the 'hmpf' thingy?"

"Hmpff..."

"Just WHAT THE HELL--"

"I'm trying to think!!!" he retorted back, his eye twitching in annoyance and rising of his voice. The blonde exhaled and stared at the ground, making some grimaces before glancing at me, his eyes glimmering. "Captain Hitsugaya is confusing''

"No, don't say that~!" I exclaimed at his small phrase with clear sarcasm, blowing my bangs up so they would not cover my eyes and prevent me from seeing.

Before Kira could say anything else, a hell butterfly entered the silenced room from the wooden window, flying around until she sat above the couch. Both of us hushed to hear the recorded message.

"Captain Miyori Hono, 10th Squad, is commanded to go as soon as possible to Head Commander Yamamoto's office. I repeat..."

Both of us exchanged confused looks, thinking multiple possibilities of what was my business in the Commander's office. With small stretching exercices, I walked out of my familiar office and made my own way to the 'Head' of Seiretei, the barracks of 1st Division. I hesitated for a moment but I knocked my knuckles on the wooden door when I approached with slow pace the office's door.

"Come on in"

After the now familiar and cosy voice that was calling me every time inside the office, I opened the door with confidence, my steps echoing in the empty room as I walked up to a chair across the Commander. His face wasn't showing anything but bluntness as usual, while my face was fierce and confident at any range.

"Captain Commander, I was informed that you would like to meet me as soon as possible for a certain something that wasn't mentioned in the report" I stated casually, beginning the conversation with the main subject, the one that curiosity was pushing me to find out about.

Commander nodded slightly, still not showing any signs that could confess me the true point of this sudden meeting. "As you heard before, Captain Hono, some of the members of Hitsugaya's Advanced Squad complained about not being able to go to Hueco Mundo so they could change the opinions and the choices of the human Inoue Orihime"

I cleared my throat at the mention of Toshiro's name and nodded positively, remembering the previous arguments between the Shinigamis. "Yes, Commander; I remember indeed"

"Precisely" he continued, his voice becoming a tune more higher. "...you must have heard the statements of Lieutenant Abarai and Kuchiki; the nonsense they bluttered out as well as the Subtitute Shinigami Ichigo Kurosaki"

I nodded again, trying to notice the ending of this useless and pointless until now conversation.

Commander must have heard my thoughts because he directly got to the point of this speech, making me almost have a heart attack.

"WHAT?!" I asked rudely, forgetting my good manners and casual way of talking towards my superior; my mind was too confused and messed up this moment and I couldn't understand why... why all of this happened before then?

Our talk kept up during 15 minutes more as he analyzed me my future movements about the operation, the necessary actions I must take and the secrets I have to keep away from everyone. I almost left a sigh but kept my composure, nodding and agreeing to help.

I stepped out of the office and I was ready to start my own way towards my office, but when I bumped on someone who appeared right in front of me I took some steps back startled.

"G-Gomena...sai..." I started saying while I looked at the person in front of me but it trailled off when realisation hit me and made me understand that the person in front of me was Toshiro, the ice captain of 10th Squad.

My eyes widened slightly at his sudden presence but they quickly got back their usual form, looking away. I didn't even give him the chance to say something; my feet quickly hurried up and started running towards the barracks where I could have some peace and quiet.

But before I could do that, I felt a firm hand gripping my wrist which made me froze on my spot. The cold wrip around my wrist made me quickly realise that Toshiro was holding me, not letting me go.

I rapidly turned around, shooting him a hard as rock glare. "What do you want?" I asked him as calm as I could, although my voice was shaking badly.

Toshiro stayed in his emotionless mascade, his emerald eyes staring at my face with emptiness and a small glimpse of regret. We could have stayed like that, staring at each other in silence for a couple of minutes more but I snapped an answer to my yet unanswered question. "If you have nothing to tell me, just leave me alone"

There was when he finally parted his lips and started talking. "I would like to talk about what happened before on the roof" he murmured in a low voice so I could only hear that.

His sudden words made a tiny pink tint dust my usually pale cheeks, while my voice was ready to break if I would decide to talk. But again, I cleared my throat and glared hardly at him. "There is nothing for us to talk about. What happened will stay back on that roof and I won--"

My voice was suddenly cut off by an unexpected warmness that covered my whole body, from the top to my tips. My eyes had been shut close from the sudden and rapid change of temperature and when I opened them, I faced the unexpected. Toshiro was hugging me tightly from the waist, his face peacfully standing right in front of mine while his lips were parted and were held against mine. WAIT, WHAT?! He... He is kissing me?! I thought shocked, my whole body frozen in its spot. Despite my sudden shock, I managed to wrap my shaking hands around his neck and kissed back as gently as I could, tilting my head to the side slightly.

The emotion that was blooming in my chest was making me dizzy and was pulling me in a deep haze. Wamness and a pleasure together with hunger overtook me, feelings that I have never felt in my life came up on the surface.

And that was when his grip got warm.

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Hewwo, guys!!!! Long time no see ;) Well, I came here with a long chapter so I can satisficate you before I won't be able to update at all D:

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