Chapter 19: Hormones?

AN: Hey everyone! First, I APOLOGIZE for the long authors note today. And yes, Chapter update was quick. Truth be told I'm several chapters ahead.

Now, I'd like to address some things. First, this chapter is heavy on Rukia and Kishin's interactions, but just so you all know it will NOT affect the overall focus of the story. That said I do need to dedicate some time and some chapters to this if Kishin is to have any sort of meaningful relationship with others.

Next, I know I asked last chapter, but still not sure how you all feel about Mature/Sexual Scenes in the story. Because of that it won't be written in. Instead, I'm going to upload those scenes separately. That way if you don't want to read it then there's no problem, just keep reading the story as is. You can also find the story on Archive Of Our Own with the scenes written in.

If you DO want to read it then you can go here: www. fanfiction (.net) /s/13586378/1/RITWOB-XXX

Or Search Fanfiction: RITWOB XXX

Or go to Archive Of Our Own and search: "Reincarnated Into the World of Bleach" posted under my name, onetim3

So how does this work then? Basically, if you want to read the Rated M Scenes then when you see "XXX" that means you should go to "RITWOB XXX." That will have the scene written in it. After the scene is over you can return here to continue reading the story as is.

NOTE: You do NOT have to read the Mature scenes in order to understand the story. At least for now. The main purpose of the Rated M Scenes are to delve into another side of Kishin's character. After all, he's not some perfect goody two shoes nor is he innocent.

PLEASE: Also read the ending note at the very bottom of the story. I'll be posting up a poll on my page with this update. I would appreciate it if you vote AFTER you've read the chapter and the Mature Content Scene. (I know this probably won't do anything but I'll say it anyways, don't read it if you are under 18 okay?)

As always, thanks for your continued support!

Reading the story:

-Scene change: "888"

-Transition To Rated M Scenes: "XXX" = Go to "RITWOB XXX" story.

-Hello, how are you? (Someone in their own thoughts)-Hello how are you? (Zanpakuto Spirit speaking in a Shinigami's mind)

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Bleach.

Chapter 19

Currently on a giant fluffy bed laid Rukia as she was sprawled out like a starfish soundlessly asleep. She continued to sleep until she felt the warmth of one of the sun's rays on the side of her cheek that peeked through the crack of the curtains in the room. The soft caress of the light caused her to stir in her sleep and roll around on the bed. This action caused her to groggily open her eyes. Her vision blurred a bit from having just woken up so she couldn't get a good look around her.

"Hm? Was my bed always this soft and big?" She quietly mumbled to herself.

She rubbed her eyes a bit to clear her vision and blinked a few times as she took in her surroundings. The longer she stared the more she inwardly panicked. Her heart began to beat faster in her chest since she didn't recognize the room she was in.

"W-What the...where am I? This isn't my room?"

She stared down at the bed and noted the large soft mattress beneath her. The bedsheets were black and smooth and the blanket was deep red in color. She noted the wardrobe in the room that was left half open. Some male clothes hung inside causing her to panic even more.

"What did I do last night? What happened to me?"

She began to question herself as she stood up on the wooden floor taking a deep breath to calm herself down to analyze the situation. It was then that it hit her. The scent in the room was all too familiar. She couldn't help but walk over to the bed one more time and slowly picked up the blanket before hesitatingly taking a quick sniff.

"It smells like...Kishin?"

Her head tilted to the side a bit in confusion as she took another whiff just in case she was wrong. A faint musk. A slight tinge of vanilla. No doubt a scent that came from his reigars. In the end she held the blanket in her hands with a blank and unbelieving stare. "There's no mistake. It's Kishin's scent."

It then dawned on her that perhaps it was a bit strange that she happened to recognize how Kishin smelled, but then again she couldn't help it. He had that sort of intoxicating scent that drew people to him. She quickly shook her head getting rid of her wandering thoughts and dropped the blanket.

"Don't tell me this is Kishin's room? How did I end up here?"

She silently tiptoed to the door and poked her head out like a small rabbit checking if it was safe to leave the burrow. She didn't see anyone so she began to slowly walk out towards the exit, however she cursed herself as she accidentally bumped into a vase. Before it could hit the ground her survival instincts kicked in and she immediately caught it before it hit the ground.

Clunk.

The sound of her hands safely wrapped around the falling ceramic vase rang in the air for a quick second before it turned silent once more. She slightly cringed and closed her eyes in prayer that nothing would happen to which she let out a sigh of relief not long after. "Haaaah…" She gently set the vase back on its pedestal. Just then she heard the sound of soft even breathing. Curious she quietly walked over and took a peek over the couch from where the noise was coming from. What she found caused her to freeze up in place. It was Kishin. Quietly and peacefully asleep on the couch. His right arm was resting on top of his forehead while his left arm laid across his chest. His head was tilted slightly to the right and his right leg had fallen off the edge of the couch.

After Rukia had put the pieces together that she had somehow ended up in Kishin's living quarters she had wondered where he was, but now that she found him she didn't know what to do. She could only stare and gulp down her saliva because she wasn't expecting to find Kishin in the current state that he was in. She hadn't expected that he would be shirtless! Furthermore she didn't realize that she was slowly inching closer and closer towards him wanting to take a closer look, but she quickly snapped back to her senses when he slightly shifted a bit in his sleep. Her cheeks instantly flushed bright red as she stepped away from the couch as fast and silently as she could. The last thing she wanted to do was wake him up to find her in an embarrassed mess.

"What exactly happened last night…" She whispered to herself in confusion.

Rukia closed her eyes and attempted to recall the events of last night. After Kishin had left for the Lieutenants meeting she had also left the training grounds, but she decided to come back to train since she never got through all of the forms. She didn't want to let Kishin down since he was taking the time to look after her training. She had to show results. She knew that she was at most average at best...no, rather she knew she was below that. Sure she knew how to activate her Shikai, but her pure Zanjutsu skills were terrible. Even when Kaien set aside time to train her many years ago her skills still weren't good enough to land her a seated officer position. She refused to remain a weak and useless person. Even more so she didn't wish to be a burden to Kishin and let his good intentions as well as hard work and effort in training her to be a waste.

That's why she returned to training after he left for the meeting yesterday, but it took her a long time to complete all the basic sword forms and when she did finish, she was so exhausted that she could barely move an inch. In the end she took a seat on the porch by Kishin's office and decided to close her eyes for a quick moment to recuperate some strength. That was the last thing she remembered, except…a hazy image surfaced in her mind. The warm feeling of being cradled in someone's arms. The soft touch of a mattress beneath her. The gentle brush of her neck being stroked. And the semi-vicious words about killing her nightmares. Her entire face heated up in bright crimson red as she recalled the blurry image of Kishin's form leaving the bedroom. Realization finally dawned on her as she softly touched her neck.

"It wasn't a dream...H-He...must've found me outside of his office and brought me here to sleep so I wouldn't be stuck outside…"

Her heart began to race as the hazy images from last night started becoming clearer and clearer the more she connected the dots. In the end she wanted to smash her head into the wall and dive into a hole never to come back out. "I should...leave before things get complicated…"

Just as she was about to head out the door she couldn't help but pause and take one more glance at Kishin's sleeping form. A moment of silence passed before she cocked her head to the side in curiosity and confusion. "Odd...he's usually awake by now. I must've...caused him a lot more trouble last night than I thought. Maybe I should repay him first."

She glanced at the kitchen in the corner of the room before making up her mind and steeling her nerves. She quickly and quietly walked over talking to no one in particular as if trying to convince herself that she'd be fine. "Okay. My skills as a Shinigami may be a bit below average but I can still cook. As an apology for troubling Kishin I'll just make him some breakfast really quick and set it on the table before taking my leave. Mn. That should be fine. I'll be done and out in no time." It was then her own stomach growled causing her to blush in shame.

"D-Damn it stomach of mine...the food is for Kishin, not me." She quietly scolded herself.

She proceeded to take a look around the kitchen and began to take out some pots and pans along with some food items from the fridge being as quiet as she could, except she was oblivious to the fact that she was failing miserably at that part. All the shifting, moving, and clanking sounds caused Kishin to stir on the couch. He let out a soft groan and rubbed his eyes a bit before sitting up to look around.

The hell is going on? So noisy.

Just as he turned his head to look in the direction of the noise he momentarily froze at the sight before him. It was precisely of Rukia attempting to make some food, however smoke was rising in the kitchen air and pancake batter was plastered all over her face, hands, and arms. He couldn't help stare in shock at how...terrible she was at cooking.

"Pfft..."

His entire body started to shake as he was having an incredibly hard time holding back his laughter. He never imagined that he would one day witness a sight like that of Rukia struggling to cook breakfast and he didn't want to make any loud noises to catch her attention. The warm glow of the sun gleamed off of Rukia's disheveled look. To Kishin's eyes she looked like a delectable snack. He couldn't help the involuntary skip in his heart as he watched her struggle to make some breakfast. It was a sight he never had the chance to witness before. He had no idea what brought on the fact that she was attempting to cook in his kitchen, but he found it amusing nonetheless. In the end he simply smirked and quietly made his way to the corner of the wall that led to the kitchen just silently watching. It was then he saw her glance at a bunny candy dispenser that was set on the kitchen counter and heard her speak to it.

"This is a lot harder than it looks Chappy." She then proceeded to respond to herself with a soft voice attempting to imitate a cute Chappy voice. "Don't worry. You can do it Rukia-pyon."

"But Chappy, what if Kishin doesn't like pancakes?"

"It's fine. It was in his pantry right? Surely he likes pancakes-pyon."

While her silent banter went on with herself, Kishin was about to burst out laughing in shock and amusement, that is until he heard the part where she was trying to make the pancakes for him. A warm fuzzy feeling stabbed his heart and his eyes clouded over in confusion.

"She's...making breakfast for me? Not for herself?" He silently whispered.

He couldn't remember the last time someone made him food like this. In fact he didn't know if anyone ever did. He always made his own food. He always took care of himself. He was experiencing a new feeling in this moment and he felt a bit conflicted. First Jushiro, taking him in as a child and always silently supporting him. Treating him with kindness without hidden ulterior motives. With Jushiro, he, for the first time in his life, had experienced what it was like to be an actual child and to have an adult care for him.

Then Toshiro, who tried to throw him a party as a congratulatory gift just for being promoted to Lieutenant. He had actually made a friend that actually cared for whatever small achievement he made. Yushiro let him experience what it was like for the first time to be annoyed at how much someone can be so carefree and want to play around. Kinji let him experience what it was like to have someone place their unconditional trust and faith in him. And now this. Someone actually waking up earlier than himself trying so hard to make him breakfast. To others it may seem like a simple act of kindness, but to Kishin it was as if one of his wishes when he was a child came true. To experience waking up in the morning to the warmth of a simple gesture just like this instead of the cold abandonment he received. He had already came to terms with his past and after everything he went through he accepted the way he turned out, but he couldn't help seeing a glimmer of the naive dreams he had as a child through Rukia's current actions.

All he could do was stare at Rukia's back as she attempted to cook the pancakes. He watched for an undetermined amount of time, but the longer he watched the more conflicted he felt. He felt conflicted for several reasons. One, no one has ever cooked like this for him before so he felt a strange...warmth invade his heart. Two, it was just too amusing to watch Rukia struggle to make something as simple as pancakes. And three, although it was amusing to watch her struggle, in the end she burnt pancake after pancake and he was pretty sure that the kitchen would be set on fire if this continued. There was definitely nothing edible that came out from her cooking. He surmised that while he felt touched by her actions, he would also probably die if he ate anything she made. In the end he walked out from his hiding spot and leaned against the wall.

"Looks burnt to me."

His sudden comment nearly shocked Rukia to death as she immediately dropped the bowl of pancake batter in her hands onto the floor.

Clang!

"AH!" She screamed in panic. She took several deep breaths and turned to face Kishin. An awkward and apologetic look covered her face.

"K-Kishin...ahem...you're awake."

He just grinned at her flustered reaction. "So...what are you doing?"

"N-Nothing…" She responded without meeting his gaze. In fact she didn't dare to look at anything but the floor since Kishin was still shirtless. Furthermore she was too embarrassed and shocked that she was caught failing miserably at her current task.

Kishin just shook his head and walked over until he was standing right before her. He couldn't help licking his lips as he gazed down at her, only wanting to tease her some more. "Senpai, are you trying to make breakfast or are you supposed to BE the breakfast?"

Her face immediately turned beet red at his comment. "I-Idiot! Obviously I'm making pancakes."

"Hahaha! Could've fooled me. Half the batter is burnt, the other half has you completely covered."

Rukia wanted to retort, but she didn't have any good comebacks. In the end she realized that the ruckus she made had probably woken him up. Something that in the beginning she tried hard not to do, but in the end after she got frustrated with not being able to cook one good pancake, had failed miserably to accomplish. She quickly cleared her throat and apologized. "Ahem. Sorry...I didn't mean to wake you up. I wanted to repay you as an apology for causing you trouble last night, but I think...I only made things worse. I even wasted your kitchen ingredients."

Kishin was about to laugh, but he noted the serious look in Rukia's expression and knew that she had really tried to do something out of goodwill. His lips curled into a smile as he patted her head. "So you went through all this trouble just to make breakfast for me huh?"

"Ah...well...I mean...don't misunderstand. I was, well, you know, this happened. And then I thought…"

Kishin just grinned some more as he listened to Rukia tongue tie herself so he brought his hand down to her cheek and softly wiped off some batter that had gotten on her face. His action caused her to shut her mouth in embarrassment.

"Rukia, it's fine. Actually, I'm happy that you tried."

She finally gained the courage to look up and stared him in the eyes. "You're happy? But I wasted so much?"

Kishin just shrugged. "I'm not poor or anything. It was just pancake batter. No one has ever tried to make me anything like this before, so thank you."

Rukia's heart skipped a beat. The sincerity behind his words were real, but she also felt a heaviness in her chest because the sadness behind his words were also real. In the end Kishin poked her forehead bringing her out of her mental stupor. "Go wash up. You're a mess."

"But...what about the kitchen...and the mess I made. And-"

He just waved his hand and interjected, "I'll take care of it. Besides...I have a feeling that if I leave you alone in the kitchen any longer I won't have a kitchen left."

Rukia pouted at his remark. "Hmpf...to think I tried to be nice."

"Hahaha! Senpai, be nice in moderation okay?"

"What does that mean?"

He then pointed to the dozens of burnt pancakes in the trash bin. "If you're going to make me breakfast, I'd like to be alive after I eat your food."

Rukia's face turned completely red as she stomped on Kishin's foot. "I-Idiot! That was practice. I was merely improving my skill before I made a perfect one."

"Okay okay, how about you take a break from 'improving' your skill today and go wash up."

She gave him a sideways glare, but in the end she let out a defeated sigh. "I suppose...then I'll take my leave. Thanks for taking care of me last night...umm...I'm sorry for all the trouble." Just as she took a step forward her stomach growled incredibly loudly. Now she truly wanted to dive into a burrow and never come out again.

Kishin however, just grinned amusedly and ruffled her hair. "There's a bathroom in my bedroom. Go wash up in there. I'll make us some breakfast."

Rukia couldn't help the loud hard pounding of her heart in her chest at his words. She didn't know why she was feeling so self conscious around him.

"I-I think it's best if I ju-"

Before she could finish her sentence Kishin cut her off. "Since you wasted so much of my pancake batter it would only be right if you fulfilled my request. Right? Rukia-senpai."

"B-But-"

Once more Kishin cut her off as he teasingly commented, "Why're you so nervous? Something wrong?"

Rukia could only swallow down her words and anxiously shook her head. "N-No. Nothing's wrong...ahem."

"Great. Then go wash up. I'll make us breakfast."

She couldn't find a reason to turn him down so she simply nodded. "Alright...then I will humor your request this one time…"

Kishin watched as she disappeared into his bedroom. A burning urge to follow her strongly filled his being, but he simply clenched his fist and shook his head in the end. "What the hell is wrong with me...it's Rukia-senpai…"

He took a moment to stare at the mess in the kitchen and grinned to himself. He stretched a bit to loosen his muscles and put on an apron before cleaning up the disaster. Several minutes later and the kitchen looked good as new. It was then he heard the shower turn on causing him to involuntarily smile. He covered his face with his right palm for a moment taking in a deep breath. He had no idea that his own cheeks were slightly flushed at that moment.

"Stop...stop...stop...it's Rukia-senpai."

He took one more deep breath to rid himself of Rukia's naked image in his head and went back to the task at hand. Cooking. He cracked his knuckles before grabbing some items from his fridge and cracked some eggs into a bowl lightly whisking them and seasoning them with a pinch of salt, sugar, mirin, and soy sauce. He prepared two servings of salmon cutting them into thin slices and started to preheat the frying pan. Then from his kitchen cupboard he lightly seasoned the salmon filets with some salt and pepper before very lightly coating them in some flour. Afterwards in a small glass bowl he combined some mirin, sake, soy sauce, and sugar for a teriyaki glaze sauce to later coat the salmon pieces. On the back burner he placed down a saucepan and combined some water with kombu making a dashi.

It was then that the preheated frying pan was hot enough to begin cooking the salmon so after adding some oil and butter he began to pan fry the salmon. The sound of a crisp crackling sizzle filled the kitchen air at the moment that the salmon filets hit the hot pan. At the same time the dashi he had prepared was now boiling so he brought down the heat, removed the kombu from the saucepan, added some bonito flakes, and let it simmer for a good minute before removing the pan entirely from the heat to let the bonito flakes steep in the hot liquid.

Kishin quickly returned his attention to the salmon filets and turned them over, getting a nice even cook on both sides. Afterwards he added the teriyaki sauce he made to the frying pan and basted the salmon to ensure a nice even coating. The savory smell of the food began to permeate throughout his living quarters. Even though he was the one cooking it and was obviously planning to eat it soon, he couldn't help but salivate in anticipation. After coating the salmon he set it aside and covered the pan to keep the food warm while he continued working on the other breakfast elements.

After 5 minutes of letting the bonito flakes steep in the dashi liquid he strained the bonito from the dashi before reheating the dashi broth back on the stove. He added some white miso paste to the dashi broth and evenly mixed it in before cutting some tofu and scallions into small pieces adding them to the broth.

"Salmon teriyaki, done. Miso soup, also done."

He turned his head to look at the rice cooker on the kitchen counter and opened it nodding his head in approval.

"Rice, still enough for two people. All that's left are the eggs."

He placed a rectangular pan on the stovetop and poured a bit of the beaten egg mixture into it ensuring to get a nice even spread over the entire pan. After getting a nice cook on the thin egg layer he quickly took his chopsticks and from one end of the thin egg layer, he flipped it over on itself folding it into a nice rolled shape. Once more he added some egg mixture into the pan and repeated the process over and over and over until he had completely made a nice fluffy and thick rolled tamagoyaki. Just as he finished and was removing the tamagoyaki from the pan, he nearly dropped it on the floor at the sound of Rukia's cough from his bedroom.

"Ahem."

Kishin let out a deep sigh of relief noting that he hadn't dropped the egg dish. He set it on a plate and took out the second tamagoyaki, however he also nearly dropped that one when Rukia poked her head out from the bedroom and sheepishly asked, "Uh...I just remembered...I don't have spare clothes."

Kishin's eyes glossed over a bit. He had already gotten the image of Rukia naked in the shower out of his head, but now he couldn't help letting his imagination run wild once more at her words. He just stood by the kitchen island in a daze doing his best to calm the rapid beating of his heart. His body felt hot so he gripped the edge of the counter. The grip strength in his hand was greater than any human being and soon showed as the edge of the counter began to crack. He was brought out of his stupor when Rukia questioned him once more, "Kishin?"

He coughed to clear his throat and mind and turned to look at her head that poked out from behind the wall. "I'll...be right there. Just give me a second."

Rukia just raised her eyebrow at him suspiciously but nodded her head and popped back into the bedroom. That is until she realized what Kishin had just said. By then it was too late as Kishin stood behind her within the bedroom.

"Rukia."

She immediately tightened her grip around the large towel that was wrapped around her small body deathly afraid that it would somehow come loose. Kishin on the other hand was deathly afraid that he'd rip the towel out from around her body at any second and accidentally hurt her small fragile frame. The fact that some water droplets dripped down from her still wet hair and onto her exposed naked neck didn't help quell his raging hormones.

Fuck.

He mentally cursed himself.

I want her.

He quickly turned his gaze away and opened his wardrobe grabbing a black t-shirt and red shorts tossing them on the bed. "Here. You can wear these for now. There's an adjustable string on the shorts so you can just pull and tie it tight." He quickly made his way to the door but gave one last glance at her and commented, "Or you can just keep the towel wrapped around your waist. That works too." He then made his way out before he could lose control over himself and pin her to the wall.

"Shit...to think that Shinigami body's go through phases like this too...what's wrong with me? I didn't even feel this much want and need when in front of Yoruichi. True she was desirable...but my body wants…" He paused as the image of Rukia in just a towel dominated his mind. "Or is it my head playing tricks on me…"

He furrowed his brow and finished plating up the food of rice, tamagoyaki, pan fried teriyaki salmon, some pickled vegetables that were left in his fridge, and a small bowl of miso soup placing them on a small square kitchen table. He sensed Rukia's presence hiding behind the wall so he waited for several long moments, but she didn't come out. It was then a loud growling noise came from Rukia's stomach so Kishin grinned and shook his head.

"Breakfast is ready. Better eat while it's hot."

Rukia could only bite the bottom of her lip mentally scolding herself for ever agreeing to stay behind. She then cursed her stomach before poking her head out from around the corner only to be met with a smugful grin on Kishin's face.

"I-I see…" Was all she could say. She gulped down her salivating palate and attempted to excuse herself. "Actually now that I think about it, I'm probably not decently dressed enough and have already caused you too much trouble. I appreciate everything you did bu-"

Before she could finish her sentence she was interrupted once more by the sound of her loud growling stomach. Kishin just gave a light chuckle and took a seat at the kitchen table. "Rukia. Just eat. I won't bite. Promise."

In the end she could only concede to her body's needs, plus the smell of the food was greatly enticing. Kishin smiled as he watched Rukia slowly walk over. His eyes reflected a possessive desire when he saw her dressed in his t-shirt that was obviously too large for her. The hem of the shirt reached down to the middle of her thigh. In the end she had elected to keep the towel wrapped around her waist since wearing his shorts would have been too large and awkward for her to walk in. He inwardly scolded himself and closed his eyes.

It's just Rukia. It's just Rukia. It's just Rukia. She's my important friend. That's all.

He opened his eyes once more taking in her appearance in his clothes and cursed himself.

Fuck. I've lost it. I want her so badly...What's going on with me...

It was then that Rukia finally took a seat opposite of him. She didn't touch the food nor did she say anything. Kishin felt the nervous tension radiating off of her body so he rested his elbow on the table before leaning his cheek against it and stared at her. He did his best not to show how much he wanted to rip her apart...in a good way...he supposed. It didn't take long before Rukia cracked under the pressure. Without meeting his gaze she attempted to break the silence.

"W-What is it?"

Once more Kishin could only grin in amusement. "What is what?"

"Why are you staring at me like that?"

"Staring at you like what?"

"You know...like...that."

"Hahaha, I have no idea what you're talking about. You'll have to be more specific."

Rukia didn't have a chance to respond before her stomach growled again. A mischievous glint flashed in Kishin's eyes as he used his chopsticks to cut into the tamagoyaki and held a small piece in front of Rukia's lips.

"Here senpai. Say aaahhhh."

His actions momentarily stunned her. She wanted to say something, but the moment she opened her mouth it was stuffed with the tamagoyaki that was held between Kishin's chopsticks.

Plop.

"Mmmpf?!" Was the only sound she could let out.

Kishin watched her facial expression turn from an embarrassed one to a shocked one to a confused one to finally a satisfactory one as she chewed on the fluffy tasty egg dish. He smirked and began to eat his own food as the nervous tension in the air had finally melted away.

"See? Was it so hard to come have breakfast with me?"

Rukia swallowed down her food before pouting a bit. "Since I'm fulfilling your request...promise you'll forget about the pancake thing."

Kishin just lightly chuckled. "But it's a precious memory now."

"P-Precious?! More like embarrassing. It was my mistake."

"Yeah, but a mistake you made for me right?"

Rukia was about to retort, but then she recalled his words of how no one ever tried to give him anything like this. She thought back to the time when she grew up on the streets and didn't have anything either. She knew what the feeling of having nothing was like. Of receiving nothing. In the end she coughed to clear her throat and continued to eat her food. "Hmpf. We shouldn't let the food go cold."

Kishin just nodded amiably as he watched Rukia's eyes sparkle when digging in. Just as Rukia stuffed a piece of salmon in her mouth she couldn't help but ask, "Did I really fall asleep outside?"

Kishin just nodded. "You did."

"Really? My memory is still a bit hazy. I could've sworn I only closed my eyes for a moment."

"Well then, it was a very long moment."

"You didn't have to bring me here."

"What, and leave you outside completely defenseless in the cold of night? What kind of Lieutenant would I be then?"

Rukia furrowed her brow as she questioned, "So...you really carried me here?" Her cheeks flushed once more in a bit of pink as she imagined herself being carried in his arms.

Kishin looked up from his plate of food and playfully commented, "Don't worry. You were only slightly heavy."

A thick vein popped on Rukia's forehead after hearing his comment. "Are you trying to say that I'm fat!"

Kishin just gave a light chuckle before his expression turned serious. "I'm just joking. I could toss you across the Seireitei with a single hand so you better not shirk on eating."

Rukia simply glared at him, but Kishin just glared back. Neither one backed down. In the end she let out a defeated sigh and went back to eating her food, but then she recalled that it was because of her that Kishin was kicked out of his bed.

"Oh, sorry about the bed. You should have let me sleep on the couch instead."

"Who said that I didn't sleep on the bed?"

Rukia gave a confused expression. "What are you talking about? You spent the night on the couch didn't you?"

Kishin just gave her a mischievous grin. "Are you sure I spent the whole night on the couch?"

His counter question caused Rukia to scrunch up her face in even more confusion. "What are you trying to say? That you and I slept on the sa-"

She cut herself off at the image she was painting for herself. Her face turned bright pink as she stuttered, "Wait...then did you...did we…but this morning..."

Kishin grinned and decided to tease her a bit more so he shrugged his shoulders and replied, "When I returned to the barracks I found you asleep on the porch. I couldn't just leave you lying outside in the cold could I? So I brought you inside, but...you just wouldn't let go of my shirt so I was left with no other choice but to join you. Did you know you snore senpai? Oh, and you're oddly strong when cuddling in bed."

Rukia's entire body turned beet red in shame and embarrassment. She really really wanted to slam her head into the wall and dive into a hole never to come back out. Kishin noted that she probably couldn't take much more so he just shook his head and chimed, "Just kidding."

His words instantly brought Rukia back to her senses. "What do you mean just kidding?"

"I mean nothing indecent happened between us last night."

Rukia's cheeks remained red as she couldn't help letting her imagination go a bit wild at his words. "I-Idiot! Who said anything about doing indecent thi-things?!"

He just smirked. "Oi, why is your face so red senpai? Are you running a fever? Or...maybe you're a bit disappointed?"

Rukia simply turned her gaze downwards to focus on her food and began eating to distract her wandering thoughts. "Ah, the food is getting cold." She then proceeded to stuff her mouth full, no longer paying Kishin any attention.

He on the other hand couldn't help the smile that graced his lips. Not long after they both finally finished their breakfast and cleaned up the dishes. By now the sun had fully risen in the sky letting its rays shine through the windows of Kishin's living quarters. Just as Rukia put away the last dish she cleared her throat and commented, "Ahem. Thank you for breakfast. It was actually very good. I would rate it very high on the Chappy scale."

Kishin raised his eyebrow questioningly at her and responded, "The Chappy scale? Now that you mention it you were talking to some weird rabbit thing earlier."

Her eyes immediately beamed and sparkled at the mention of Chappy so she vigorously nodded her head and pulled out the bunny head shaped soul candy dispenser as she spoke with a softer tone of voice. "That's right. This is Chappy-pyon."

…

Kishin just stared at her in awkward silence.

…

Rukia just stared back with beaming eyes.

In the end he awkwardly tilted his head to the side and responded, "Right…"

He then walked out of the kitchen getting away from the strange atmosphere that was created in the room and tossing his apron over the couch. Rukia smiled at the Chappy dispenser in her hand with a look like she was holding a precious treasure and put it away before following behind Kishin.

"Well then Lieutenant, I apologize for all the trouble I caused you last night and this morning. I promise to repay you somehow. If there's nothing else, I'll get going." She quickly saluted him and just as she opened the door to leave, Kishin appeared behind her and held the door shut. His body extremely close in proximity to her own. He dipped his head down reaching just behind her right ear. His warm breath tickled the nape of her neck as he spoke with a soft but low husk-filled voice, "Then how about you repay me right now?"

Rukia's entire body involuntarily shuddered. Her mind was drawing a blank. She wanted to respond, but she couldn't. She felt like she had entered the den of a vicious predator. Like a rabbit being held down by a lion. And although one would normally be filled with fear in a position like that, the fact that she knew it was Kishin who was behind her made her feel oddly okay with her current predicament. She could only gulp down her saliva and remain unmoving.

Kishin couldn't help gulping down his own saliva as he didn't really know what came over him. He couldn't help some of the involuntary...physical urges that surfaced every now and then. Rukia was just too easy to tease and rile up. He could get all sorts of reactions out of her and never get bored. To him, she just seemed so...fragile and delicate. He could crush her with one hand if he wanted to. His palm could easily lace around her neck and snap it. He confirmed that fact last night and that thought both scared him and excited him. He still wasn't sure if it was the raging hormones in his body that was making him feel this way or something else, but when he recalled hearing her whisper his name last night he couldn't help thinking to himself that her screaming his name might not sound so bad either. He knew he was a damaged person already, but confirming to himself the aforementioned previous facts made him realize even more of what kind of a twisted monster he was inside.

His blood began to boil over and swore that the loud thumping in his chest echoed throughout the room. Being so close to her made his body go wild. He could smell the scent of his own shampoo coming off of her body and it made him want to ravish her right now. His breathing quickened and just as he brought his hand near her shoulders, he paused. His hand froze when he noted that Rukia's entire body was trembling. The room was still incredibly silent with neither one of them moving. For what seemed like an eternity was actually only a few seconds as Kishin closed his eyes and pushed off of the wall, turning away from her. He...for the first time feared what he might do to someone he acknowledged as important to him. Then again he never had important people in his life before so he didn't even know what it really meant to acknowledge someone as important. It's because he never had to struggle over this feeling before that he never had to worry about what sort of actions he took against others, but now...needless to say it was a different experience for him and he wasn't sure what to make of it yet.

In the end he coughed aloud to clear his throat breaking the silent and...very prominent sexual tension in the air trying to play things off coolly. "Ahem. Sorry about that. I...didn't mean to scare you or anything."

His words brought Rukia back to reality. Scared? Her? There was no way she was going to tell him that her body was trembling earlier not from fear, but from wanting to feel him touch her. She had no idea why either. Her body was reacting all on its own. She quickly turned around and also tried to play things off coolly. "Ah...n-no, it's fine. Although you do take your pranks a bit too far sometimes. Ahaha…"

Kishin uncomfortably shifted in place rubbing the back of his neck in shame. "Y-Yeah...sorry." His back remained turned to her as he closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. There was no way he could face her until the physical evidence of his desire for her, given by the strong reaction of his body's lower half, went away. Another moment of silence filled the room, but this time there was an odd air of disappointment between them. Both of them having no idea what was going on with themselves. In the end Rukia once more opened the door to leave.

"Then...I'll get goi-"

"Wait." He interjected.

Rukia tilted her head to the side in confusion. "What is it?"

He mentally scolded himself for blurting that out. He let out a silent sigh of relief after getting his body under control and walked forward flicking her on the forehead.

"Ow. What'd you do that for?"

He just shrugged his shoulders. A smile graced his lips as the atmosphere between them finally returned to how it normally was. "No reason."

She lightly scowled at him rubbing her forehead. "So? You were saying?"

Kishin wracked his brain for a reason as to why he told her to wait. In truth he didn't know what came over him. There wasn't really any reason for why he told her to stop. It was then a lightbulb clicked in his head for an excuse and so he pointed to his bedroom. "You forgot your Zanpakuto."

Rukia immediately became embarrassed for forgetting something so important. She was too caught up in everything that happened before that she was just trying to leave as quickly as she could before something happened that they both might regret. Or maybe they wouldn't regret it? She didn't know what to think.

Kishin watched with amusement at Rukia who awkwardly dashed into the bedroom to grab her Zanpakuto. As she was walking back out she paused by his bedroom door and looked down at her current attire. She was still dressed in his shirt and towel.

"I...there's no way I can walk out looking like this."

Kishin shook his head in disagreement. "Why not?"

She gave him an incredulous look. "Idiot! What would the other division members think seeing me dressed like this?"

"They'd wonder where you just came from."

"Exactly! And what would I tell them?"

"You tell them the truth."

"What truth?"

Kishin stepped in front of her and gave a mischievous smile. "That you spent the night at my place," he then bent down to reach her ear and whispered, "and that you left fully satisfied this morning."

Rukia finally couldn't take anymore teasing remarks after everything that happened this morning. She was having a hard time trying to understand her own thoughts and feelings while also trying to understand Kishin's, so in the end she clenched her hands into a fist as a thick annoyed vein popped on her forehead. Without warning she slapped Kishin on the head.

"Ow." He responded while rubbing his head. "What was that for?"

Rukia glared at him and huffed. "Hmpf. Stop teasing me already. Take this seriously. I really can't go out like this."

He just let out an amused sigh. "Okay. I understand." Without warning he picked her up and cradled her in his arms.

"W-What are you doing?!" Rukia exclaimed as she lightly flailed in his arms. Her action only made Kishin hold her tighter.

"Just be still for a moment okay? I promise no one will see."

She wanted to retort, but she couldn't since the next thing she saw was nothing but a blur. She felt the wind on her face for a couple seconds before it stopped. When her senses fully came back to her she was shocked to discover that they were both now inside her personal room in the division barracks. Kishin gently put her down and smiled at her speechless expression. In the end he opened the door to leave and made one last comment. "You can keep the shirt and towel if you want. A gift from me."

Fwish!

He then made himself scarce. The second he made it back to his living quarters he immediately took a cold shower. As he stood underneath the shower head letting the cold water run over his body he just leaned his head against the glass shower door and sighed. "Is this what they mean when they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder...Yoruichi definitely has an incredible figure. The same could be said about Rangiku, but when I'm around them I don't lose my self control."

He glanced through his glass shower door seeing Rukia's pancake battered shihakusho hanging on the wall of the bathroom and shuddered. The realization that Rukia had been naked in his shower not too long ago caused his imagination to run wild. He groaned in frustration. His body started burning up. He was aroused...very aroused. The cold water did absolutely nothing to help. He shut his eyes trying to think of something, anything to get rid of Rukia's naked image in his head, but to no avail. He was way too turned on at this point knowing that Rukia was in here just prior.

He recalled the scent of his shampoo on her body which instantly flooded his mind with dirty thoughts. He turned to see his bottle of shampoo and body wash and shuddered as he imagined Rukia lathering up her small naked frame all over the place. A low dark groan unknowingly escaped his lips. His breathing had unknowingly turned into heavy panting. He could hardly think about anything anymore. There was only one solution that came to his mind which would help alleviate his current predicament. And that was to simply give in and relieve himself, but he tried not to go there. Kishin took one more glance outside the glass shower door at Rukia's shihakusho and cursed. His mental willpower didn't even last a second.

"Fuck it. I can't help it any longer."

With that he simply let his fantasy play out...

XXX

An hour and a half later he stood in his office and held a black hell butterfly in his hand. "A message from Central 46? Then they received my application."

After taking a moment to absorb the contents of the message he let the butterfly go. "Guess I'll take that trip now."

He made his way to Jushiro's quarters and knocked on the door before receiving permission to enter. Jushiro smiled as he saw Kishin enter and motioned for him to take a seat.

"Shin-chan! How are you?"

Kishin thought back to this morning and awkwardly scratched the side of his cheek. "I'm...uhh...great."

Jushiro raised his eyebrow in curiosity at his nervous answer, but decided to let it slide. "Do you want some tea?"

He just shook his head. "It's alright. Actually I came to inform you of my departure."

"Hm? Departure? Where are you going?"

"Sentaro and Kiyone told me that to fully integrate into my position as the Lieutenant that I should visit Karakura Town, the 13th division's jurisdiction, and become familiar with it. I already filled out all the necessary paperwork and just this morning Central 46 sent a hell butterfly approving."

Jushiro's eyes brightened. "Ah, right. That is an important task. You sure work fast!"

Kishin just shrugged his shoulders. "Just doing what I must."

"How long will you be gone for?"

"I got permission to leave for 2 months."

"Oh? 2 months huh?" Jushiro gave a pondering look, but Kishin just smirked and continued, "Don't worry about anything Captain. I've finished all the paperwork that was piled in the office for the both of us. As long as nothing unexpected happens there shouldn't be any tedious work required of you for a while."

Jushiro just awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "Ahaha...no...well that's not why I was thinking so hard. I was just wondering if you'll be okay."

Kishin cocked his head to the side in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Oh...well, I was just wondering if it might be too boring for you to be gone for that long. Ah, not that I'm saying you should spend less time there. Oh, but the division will be a little less lively during the 2 months you're out."

He just blinked a few times before an involuntary smile graced his lips. Once more a strange feeling of warmth filled him inside. To think that one day he could experience a feeling of belonging somewhere. He then felt internally conflicted. All of these new emotions and feelings weren't things he was used to experiencing and it made him a bit uncomfortable. The look in his eyes became a bit lost so Jushiro couldn't help but ask, "Ahem...Shin-chan, you know...if you ever need advice or help you can always ask me right?"

...

A silence filled the air. Kishin thought that he had a neutral expression on his face but turns out he was more bothered about what was going on with him than he let on if even Jushiro was able to tell. In the end he conceded and awkwardly shifted in place. "I uh...guess I could use some...advice."

Jushiro's eyes beamed and sparkled. He threw that line just incase but he hadn't actually expected that Kishin would take him up on his offer. "Ask away Shin-chan! I'll do my best to help out anyway that I can."

Kishin scratched the side of his cheek not knowing how to start or what to really ask. He was confused about his feelings. No. Rather, it wasn't quite confusion, but instead he didn't know what to do or how to proceed. "Then...Captain...what do you do when you really want something?"

"Hm? Hrrrmmm..." Jushiro pondered for a bit as he rubbed the underside of his chin in contemplation. "Is there something that you want Shin-chan?"

Once more Kishin thought back to this morning and what he did in the shower. His heart began to beat a little faster recalling Rukia in his shirt and towel. There was no way he could bring himself to tell Jushiro that he had a sudden urge to ravish Rukia. "What if...there is something that I want."

"Hm...I see. Well, I suppose it depends. How badly do you want it."

Kishin just gulped down his saliva. "I think...to the point of possession..."

"Ehh? Possession huh? It must be something extraordinary then if it's something that you want that badly Shin-chan. Tell you what, why don't you tell me what it is and I'll see if I can help you get it."

Kishin immediately shook his head. "Ah, no. Err...it's not...I mean. That'd...be difficult I think."

Now Jushiro was extremely curious. "Really? Even for me? Hmmm..."

Kishin mentally face-palmed not knowing what came over himself. Of course there was no way Jushiro could give him a good answer if he didn't give the entire context so he decided to re-word his question. "Captain...what does it mean to have important things?"

Jushiro's eyes momentarily wavered. It was now that he understood just how heavy the deeper meaning behind Kishin's question and internal struggle was. His facial expression softened as he stared at Kishin with a gentle gaze. "To have important things means that you hold them close to your heart. They can be anything. It can be a physical object, an idea, a person, or even an emotion. As long as you would do anything to protect it, that is what it means to consider something important."

Kishin slightly furrowed his brow. He stared down at his hand and clenched it into a fist. "To do anything to protect it huh..."

Jushiro nodded. "That's right."

Kishin was even more confused now.

Would I? No...do I want to protect Rukia? That can't be. I only thought about how I would ravish her, take her...how I would want her...to not hurt...I don't get it.

"Captain. My heart beats faster when I'm near this...so called important thing. What does that mean?"

Jushiro couldn't help blinking a few times in amusement and shock. He was shocked for two reasons. One, he was sure that Kishin was so distracted by his own thoughts that his expression and question sounded like he was a 7 year old kid again asking Jushiro to teach him things. And the second, he just now realized that Kishin was probably talking about a person and not a thing. He didn't want to expose Kishin's thoughts so he simply smiled and replied, "If your heart beats faster when you're near this important thing then that means that you have feelings for it."

Kishin slightly frowned. "Feelings? What kinds of feelings?"

"Ahem. Well, can you explain to me in more detail how you feel?"

Kishin was hesitant at first, but he really needed to try and sort out what was going on with him internally so he nodded. "Okay...other than my heart beating faster I also...ahem...think about it...and want to hold it...maybe?"

Jushiro couldn't help the giant grin on his face at Kishin struggling to put his feelings into words. "Shin-chan. That means that you consider this thing important to you and you like it. A lot. Maybe you have the urge to be near it. Or find its presence soothing. Whatever the case, don't let go of this feeling. Keep it close to your heart. Okay?"

Kishin just sighed in defeat. He was still confused. What is want? What is desire? What lies beyond that? Important things? He never had that before. Love? He never had that before. Joy? He never had that. The closest thing he ever had to joy was when he spilled the blood of his target. To protect? Protect what though? He didn't know what he was feeling towards Rukia and that unsettled him. Did he have feelings for Rukia? Well what are feelings? What does it mean to have those? Was it just lust? When he thought back to his shower he definitely checked that box, but something deeper in his soul told him there was more. It slightly irked him that his internal life became so much more difficult. He couldn't deny that his life was a little more straightforward when all he had to do was think about how to kill a target and then do it. In the end he chatted with Ukitake a bit longer before shelving the discussion. He returned to his quarters and dialed Akon's phone number on his denreishinki.

Ring. Ring. Ring.

Click.

"Hello?" Akon said in an indifferent voice.

"Senpai. How're you doing?"

"Hm? Senpai? Me? Who is this?"

"Senpai, you didn't check the caller I.D before picking up? Rude. It's me, Kishin."

"Eh?! Kishin? Ah, sorry. I was in the middle of looking over some important research materials. Did you need me for something?"

"Yeah, I'm going to the World of the Living. It's a bit abrupt but I got permission from Central 46 not long ago. Can you prepare a hell butterfly for me for crossing over."

Akon nodded. "I can do that. Are you at the Senkaimon gate already?"

"Actually can you send it to my office in the 13th division barracks."

"Not using the giant Senkaimon gate?"

"There's no need. I have a personal Senkaimon now anyways thanks to you and Kinji."

Akon just grinned and shook his head. "Right. I forgot about that. Oi, just remember not to abuse it. I don't make personal Senkaimon gates for just anyone. And I reckon neither does Kinji."

"I know. The both of you would know whenever I go through it anyways so not like I can just sneak off. It just saves me time from having to travel all the way to the one singular giant Senkaimon gate at the central tower."

"Kishin, even though you have a personal Senkaimon you'll still be placed under a Gentei Reien. I hope you're aware."

"Yup. I got it. It's honestly not a problem."

"Okay. Done. Once you open your Senkaimon you should see a black hell butterfly waiting for you."

"Thanks senpai."

"How long will you be gone for?"

"I got permission for 2 months."

"Eh? 2 months huh? Central 46 was pretty generous letting you be gone for that long."

"What can I say, I'm exceptional."

"Tch. Right, right. I'm hanging up now."

"Hahaha, alright, sorry for the trouble, Akon-senpai."

Click.

The moment Kishin hung up he walked down to the end of his office and placed his hand on the frame of his personalized Senkaimon gate. A bright white light was then emitted within its arch revealing a black hell butterfly that was waiting inside to which he simply followed it through.

Whish.

The light vanished behind him and not a second later a set of shoji style doors opened revealing clear blue skies on the other side. Kishin stepped out and stood on the air. He had arrived in Karakura Town.

"Finally back."

He took a glance around him and noted the lush green trees and well maintained grass in the area. A paved sidewalk ran along the outside of a large open park. The sound of children running around and playing games filled the air. Young adults laid together in the shade of the trees reading books or having a picnic lunch. Mother and fathers stood or sat nearby the playground area. All in all Kishin had arrived in quite a lively place within Karakura Town. He stood unmoving in the sky and just plainly stared at everyone down below.

"So carefree."

He slowly fell to the ground as an image of him and Rukia sitting beneath the shade of a tree poking fun at each other and just being in each other's company surfaced in his mind. He immediately rubbed the bridge of his nose and shook his head. "When did I start thinking about her so much...ugh...is this what people call catching feelings? It can't be right?"

He took a deep breath in and sighed in defeat. "Two months away from Soul Society...and away from Rukia...maybe...this is a good thing. I need to cool off."

He looked eastward and began walking towards Urahara's shop getting his mindset back into a more serious mode. "I should be fine as long as Aizen leaves me alone, but just in case I need to continue increasing my own strength."

He stared down at his hands and clenched them to fists. "For the next two months I should learn how to control my Hollow powers. I vaguely recall something about there being Visoreds who were able to control Hollowfied powers. No doubt that group was the same group who escaped Soul Society during the Vanishing Souls incident with Urahara-san. Now how to get him to spit out their location..."

POST AUTHORS NOTE.

Sorry for the long ending note, but I want to address some more things.

If you read the Rated M Scene by going to "RITWOB XXX" then in your opinion, was it okay? Should I continue doing it this way for any future Rated M Scenes? Should I change the rating of the story to M and just write them in instead? Or should I just give up on the Rated M Scenes entirely?

The main reason why I'm not directly writing these kinds of scenes in the story right now is because I still want people to be able to enjoy the story without having to worry about the Rating, hence the creation of "RITWOB XXX" for those of you who are OLD enough and don't mind reading that kind of content. There's also Archive of our own. I want to be considerate.

Your thoughts are appreciated.

POLL is now up on my PROFILE PAGE! Please vote for your choice. I'll leave it up for the next 3-4 days.

POLL: www. fanfiction (.net) /~onetim3

P.S. I want to address a few more things that many have asked me either in the Reviews or in PM.

1. There will be NO harem.

2. Yoruichi x Kishin will NOT happen. My Reasons: She defected from Soul Society for Urahara, has unconditional trust in him, left her Clan Head position for him, gathers intel for him, trained with him, played with him, grew up with him, lives with him, etc. She basically has given up everything for him. I didn't really want to trample on her history with Urahara. Sorry that this pairing will not happen even though I almost decided on it.

3. Soi Fon x Kishin will NOT happen. My Reasons: I just don't see them as a couple. She's too serious for him. Another one of her main characteristics is her obsession with Yoruichi and I think Kishin would get annoyed with her after awhile. Plus she has a strong moral stance and is unbending in her beliefs. Kishin's personality isn't like that. They just wouldn't meld together. Although if they ever had to work together to assassinate someone, that's a different story.

4. Rangiku x Kishin will NOT happen. My Reasons: For future story purposes. I mean, she's the driving factor for why Gin is doing what he's doing, and I have plans for him. Hopefully I can incorporate it well.

5. Nemu x Kishin will NOT happen. My Reasons: There's just no way Kishin could be intimate with someone who's body is filled with drugs that would cause him harm.

6. Unohana x Kishin will NOT happen. My Reasons: First, she is over 1000+ years old and vastly different in mentality right now. Second, she's mainly a healer and doesn't join in on fights. Third, I don't see her having a lot of meaningful interactions with Kishin. There's no real reason for the two of them to see each other very much. She gives off more of a motherly vibe than potential love interest. And fourth, their inner characteristics might seem similar but are actually vastly different. She's a violent maniac and murderer. She seeks out people to kill and fight just because she wants to fight someone strong. She takes pleasure in going around randomly killing. That's who she is. Kishin isn't like that. Don't get me wrong, he has no problem killing people and he has no problem taking enjoyment from doing it, but he doesn't do it arbitrarily. It's not like he'll just walk around Rukongai and kill every person he sees. That's something that Unohana's true inner self would do. She's almost basically the female version of Zaraki. In essence, the true monster between them would go to Unohana. So, yeah I don't see them as a couple.

7. Rukia x Kishin is the main pairing. My Reasons: Her character is more malleable. She's not yet set in a single way when the story has started. She's still growing and learning more and more. Her personality and character fit better for Kishin. She's been hurt and knows pain and loneliness. She is still struggling to find her own way and learn to stand on her own two feet. Her power is still growing and there's still a lot about the world that she has yet to experience. She has built a persona of a cold, graceful, and respectable lady of the Kuchiki Clan. While that has become part of her character, deep down she also just wants to be free and not have to be so serious all the time. During those moments she is playful in nature and more relaxed. Kishin can give her those things. He is still growing and learning more just like her. Although his pain and loneliness differs than hers, they both have difficulties that they have to live with or have experienced, or will experience. He's got a mischievous and relaxed attitude that kind of gives Rukia the freedom she needs to not be so serious all the time. That's what gets her to open up more to him and in turn lets Kishin experience more of what it feels like to have gentle moments like these. The two of them can give each other different, but more meaningful experiences. She might be able to soothe his more violent nature if needed, and if she's being too soft in her decisions or actions then he could be more forceful if needed. To me, it just seems like they have a better potential for more meaningful interactions.

8. FINALLY the last thing I'd like to say. The focus of the story will NOT change. A chapter here or there might be dedicated to relationship building, sure. I mean I can't just not dedicate any time to building up relationships with others in the story or it won't seem as meaningful. BUT, that does NOT mean that the focus of the story is changing. The main plot and theme will continue with following Kishin's journey throughout the Bleach-verse. The story is NOT going to be some sort of smut, lemony, sex filled conquest story. That's just a detail to help add another depth to the development of the characters.

THANK YOU! Everyone who read through ALL of that. I'm very very SORRY for such long notes.