four

Kisuke sat at his desk scribbling notes as they popped into his mind. He was halfway through the pad of paper when his best friend sauntered in. "Are you or are you not going to the market?" Yoruichi asked leaning on the door frame. He shook himself out of his thoughts and looked up at her in question. Yoruichi sighed and rubbed her temples, "The open market just outside of Rukongai? I told you about it. A few of the districts got together to sell and trade. Should be real interesting." He hummed and started to scribble again. She narrowed her eyes, "Since there's going to be lots of people from different districts they have a few of us patrolling, you know just in case." He hummed again and flipped the page.

A mischievous smirk crossed her lips. "Soi said there's going to be reapers there not on patrol too." He nodded and mumbled something incoherent. "She said Ivy invited her." Kisuke's head shot up, suddenly at attention. "When is it again?" He stood and reached for Benihime. She shook her head wondering why she didn't open with that. "It's happening now actually. Soi Fon wanted me to go. I was going to pass but," She stopped when he passed her heading out the door. "No no, we must attend. Hiyori, Mayuri!" He shouted, "I'll be out for a bit." He yelled at he passed the blonde in the hall and the room containing his blue haired assistant.

The fields that stretched beyond hanging dog were usually barren of anything but children playing and the large patch of dirt where most things refused to grow. Now it was lined with stalls of food and games and goods of all kinds. People milled up and down the streets leading into the district where a band played and many danced. It was quite lively and Ivy couldn't help but smile. Most people that lived here would make enough today to help carry them through the month if they were lucky. She didn't think she had ever seen this many people here. The laughter and chatter that mulled through the crowds was light and filled with happiness that the people here didn't get much of. Perhaps they could make it a tradition. She sighed thinking of Hanna. Her sister was feeling under the weather and could make it. She could go into labor at anytime in the next few weeks so she needed to take it easy.

Soi fon elbowed her side, knocking her out of her thoughts and getting her attention. "Look Ivy it's Captain Muguruma." Ivy looked in the direction that her friend was pointing and saw that the Captain had indeed made it. She had invited him on passing and figured he wouldn't show. He stood looming over the people as they passed, his stony expression causing many to give him a wide birth. His lieutenant seemed quite excited to come, which was probably why he was here. Ivy looked at her friend suspiciously, "Yeah that's great. Alot of people are here." Soi hooked her arm around Ivy's and started to drag her toward the large Captain. "Yes but you don't have the hots for all of them." Seeing what her friend was intending to do Ivy dug her heels in the dirt effectively stopping them both. "Who said I had the hots for Captain Muguruma?" Soi fon huffed. "You do, you told me." Ivy was glad they were in a part of the festivities that was less crowded. She slapped her hand over her friends mouth. "Soi! What the hell? That was ages ago. I mean he's nice to look at yes but that doesn't mean that going over there is going to make anything any different than it is now."

Ivy narrowed her eyes and glared at the ninja. "What are you playing at?" Soi fon gave her most innocent look and then glanced over Ivy's should and smiled wider. "Captain Muguruma, how nice to see you." Ivy turned and suppressed a growl. "Captain Muguruma, Mashiro, I'm glad you two could make it." The tall man nodded as his lieutenant bounced happily beside him. "The food here is so good. I want to eat it all." The green haired woman practically sang as she spun on one foot. Soi Fon grabbed Mashiro's arm and started to pulled her away quickly. "Have you had the candy apples? They are the best." Ivy and the white haired Captain watched as the two hurried away. She was thinking of ways to kill her friend when the man beside her spoke. "Thanks for inviting me. This is nice." She smiled up at him and then looked awkwardly around.

Soi hadn't been wrong, she had a thing for Kensei Muguruma a while ago. She also thought that Captain Ukitake was handsome too and he was easier to talk to but she hadn't thought about either of them for a while. Not since, she sighed and tried to think of ways to cut this awkward silence. The large man beside her sighed as he watched his lieutenant bounced from stall to stall. Ivy noticed that Soi Fon had disappeared and sighed herself. "She's such a pain in the ass." The Captain mumbled. Ivy scanned the crowd looking for her friend, yes she is, she thought.

Kisuke and Yoruichi walked casually along the lighted trail. They had umbrellas strung along between the tops of the buildings like a colorful canopy. Small lamps lines the streets with colorful glass bulbs casting multicolored shadows in all directions. The trail of stalls under the umbrella arch lead people down the main street and out into the field where they seemed to be set up in neat rows of tents and tables. Vendors yelled out what they were selling and haggled with onlookers as well as the shoppers that had stopped. "It's a lot nicer than I thought it would be." Yoruichi said offhandedly. He nodded in agreement. Though he wondered how much more enjoyable it would be if a certain redhead was here.

"Lady Yoruichi." They both turned and saw Soi Fon running toward them. To his disappointment she was alone. "You came and you brought," She rolled her eyes at him and squeezed her way between him and his friend. Many years ago he and Yoruichi had been a thing. Mainly because everyone around them had assumed they were and they had thought why not make it true. It hadn't taken long for them to realize that they were better friends than lovers and let it go. The young girl between them believed otherwise. He wondered what she would do if she knew about their tryst long ago.

He scanned the crowd looking for Ivy when he heard Soi Fon scoff. "She's over there talking to Captain Muguruma. They were getting close when I left them." Something in his gut twisted painfully at her words. Yoruichi looked down at her charge. "What are talking about?" Soi Fon looked at her superior sheepishly and started to stutter out a vague explanation of something, he had tuned them out and was scanning the crowd again. Kisuke tried to shake the feelings that that comment had stirred in his mind.

He spotted them not far away, standing off the path and neither of them seemed to be talking. Her hair was out of it's usual bun and flowed down just past her shoulders. His fingers flexed at the thought of touching it. Honestly, he thought, she looked a bit uncomfortable and he seemed extremely uninterested.He wondered if the young girl had been telling the truth or not. People could be awkward and still have romantic feelings for one another. Kisuke decided that while Yoruichi dealt with the young ninja he would see if his lovely little healer needed an out of the awkwardness. As he got closer he saw the Captain's mouth move and then they seemed to both be searching for something. He wasn't far from them when he saw Ivy point to one of the stalls where the lieutenant of the 9th squad was woofing down some sweets. The tall white haired Captain thanked Ivy and marched off angrily.

He was a few steps behind her and smiled when she sighed in relief. "That seemed awkward." He said cheerily making her jump and turn. The smile on her face when she saw him eased the tension that the small ninjas comment had put there. "Yeah, it was." She chuckled, "I'm glad you made it." He couldn't stop his dopey smile as he held his arm out for her to take and she slipped her and onto his arm.

"So, she really hates me huh?" He wondered aloud. She gave him a questioning look then it seemed to dawn on her. "Well she's not your biggest fan that's for sure. She's really not a bad person. She's just really jealous of you and Yoruichi." He nodded as they stated walking along the lighted path. "Are you sure that's all she's jealous of?" He asked watching the reflections of the lights above the umbrellas dance and sway in the breeze. "Um, yeah I mean what else is there?" She wondered as they stopped to let an elderly couple pass. He leaned down so his mouth was close to her ear. "The fact that I'm romancing her friend." He loved the way his comment sent a wave of color across her cheeks, her hand squeezing his forearm slightly. "Are, um, are you romancing someone?" He placed his empty hand on hers. "I see I need to try harder." She let out a nervous laugh that made his grin wider and nudged him with her shoulder.

They walked aimlessly through the milling crowds looking at booths of people playing games, eating sweet smelling foods and looking at handmade objects. The easy conversation they fell into made him doubt the young ninja's comments more. When he had spotted her with Kensei she had looked uncomfortable even though Soi Fon had said otherwise. She seemed to at ease now as she talked with him. "Is your sister here? I know you said she still lived here." He said offhandedly. She nodded happily as she ate the ice cream he had bought her. She nodded, "She wanted to come to this but she wasn't feeling to great. The last bit of her pregnancy is hitting her a bit hard. Maybe she'll make it next time."

She pointed to a booth filled with hand made tapestries, scarves, dresses and other accessories. He watched from the edge of the tent as she looked from table to table picking up the colorful items and sitting them down. Maybe he should buy her something, a hairpin maybe? The one he always saw in her hair was a little plain. One of the stalls they had passed earlier had a few nice ones. He could stop by on his way out. She picked something up, a green and white striped bucket hat. She stood in front of the small mirror and put it on, making faces and tilting her head back and forth. The colors went well with her red hair and pale skin, he thought. She shook her head with a frown and turned to him. Her brown eyes lit up and the smile that spread across her face had his stomach twisting. She walked over and placed it on his head, nodding. "Perfect." He gave her an intrigued look and walked to the mirror to check how perfect it was while she paid for the item. Tilting his head from side to side like she had done he had to admit it wasn't too bad. It shaded his eyes and gave him a mysterious sort of look. Wait, she bought him a present? As she passed him to leave the tent he murmered, "Now who's romancing whom?" Her cheeks grew pink as she turned to him and shrugged. "I don't know what you're talking about."

As the night got later the crowd grew larger and louder. People getting off from work or the craftsman who wanted to finish one more thing before bringing their wears to the event arrived and happily joined with the others. They looked for their two friends for a bit but gave up the search in hopes of finding a place to rest for a bit and get away from the groups of people wandering up and down the streets. A large lake sat a short distance from the festivities, it's still waters reflecting the clouds and stars shining above. Ivy climbed up a large boulder that broke the border between the water and land. She looked out over the water and he could practically see the memories flashing on her eyes. "Me, Soi and my sister used to play here when we were little. I don't think anyone comes here much anymore." Kisuke sat beside her, sitting a hand behind her so he could lean into her space a bit. They say in comfortable silence the murmers from the crowd and gentle sounds for frogs the only sounds.

Ivy hummed and leaned back accidentally bumping into his shoulder. She turned to apologize and froze when their eyes met, only inches apart. Their breath mingled in the small space between them and Ivy wondered if he could hear the pounding of her heart, it seemed so loud in her ears. "I'm, I'm sorry." she said, voice quiet and breathy. He lifted a hand to caress her cheek, "No need to apologize." He slid the loose hair that had fallen in her face behind her ear and slowly leaned in, brushing his nose lightly against hers. Her hooded eyes seemed to tell him she wouldn't push him away if he closed the distance between them but he didn't want to assume. "Ivy," He said, voice going a bit deeper as his fingers traced a line from her jaw down the side of her neck. Her eyes slid closed and she took the initiative, closing the distance between them and pressing her lips to his.

He slid his hand around her neck and as his fingers glided into her hair he could feel the tip of her tounge slip along the his bottom lip. He wasn't one to deny a beautiful lady what she desired, he thought, parting his lips and letting their tongues slide against eachother. He could feel her hand grip the front of his Captain's cloak as well as his new hat sliding off his head as a adorable noise escaped her throat. He lifted his other hand and started to wrap it around her waist. This would be much better, more pleasurable really, if she were in his lap. He parted their lips for a brief second as he slid her onto his lap and quickly rejoined their lips. Her fingernails grazed his scalp causing a moan to rumble into their joined mouths.

The noise of someone clearing their throat nearby made her pull away from him. She looked up and pulled her hand out of his hair. Whoever was behind them better have a damn good reason for interrupting, he thought turning to see who it was. Soi Fon's small form stood a few feet away, her eyes narrowed in anger. Yoruichi stood beside her, the grin on her face speaking volumes of how happy she was to have caught them. His new hat hung from the princess's fingers swaying slightly in the breeze. "Hey guys," Ivy said from his lap as she raised her hand. He tried not to chuckle at her cute response from being caught. He knew if he did the angry woman beside his friend would probably start yelling. Yoruichi brought her arm up and pulled Soi Fon in for a sideways hug making the girl's anger disappear momentarily. "Hey yourself. We were wondering where you two had gotten to." Yoruichi said brightly.