Stronger than a Lieutenant (28)

Sora sipped his drink; he was supposed to be on work hours right now, but oh no, here he was, having to deal with an orange-haired punk.

A girlfriend wanting an answer and a boss who didn't seem like he would intervene anytime soon.

But first...

"Uryu... hand me all the hollow bait you have."

About 5 seconds later, he was handed about 20 hollow baits... what the actual fuck?

Sora took the bait and destroyed them on the spot.

"Well, that's one thing dealt with," he said, yawning a bit.

"What was that?" Ichigo's voice was heard saying.

"I just crushed some hollow bait, no biggie."

"No, not that, what you did earlier."

"Oh, that? Just subdued a couple of menos, no biggie."

He acted as if this was the most unimportant thing in the world—well, it was no biggie.

"That thing usually requires a special to deal with it, sometimes even a Lieutenant or second seat," Rukia mumbled, as if reciting something she had learned from her textbook.

"Well, guess I am stronger than a lieutenant," he said, as if it were something small.

"How was I unable to sense you?" Rukia added, looking at him.

"Oh, because I didn't let you."

He shrugged his shoulder as if this was common knowledge.

Suddenly, a memory popped up in Ichigo's mind—the very vibrant memory of being held by the old to hold him as Rukia had looted his body for his phone.

"You're fine, I don't hold a grudge. Plus, at the time, you were just doing your job," Sora added in a dry voice.

Ichigo let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"Still have the video though, wonder if I should send it to Orihime."

Sora had a mischievous grin on his face as he waved the phone.

"Delete this."

"Make me." Sora waved the phone in the air. Since he was taller than Ichigo, it was quite easy to keep the phone out of his reach.

Suddenly, something seemed to ring inside Rukia's mind.

"Wait, so you weren't affected by the Kikanshinki?"

The girl suddenly asked.

"No, not really. Oh, by the way, thank you for the assist, Uryu," he said, shrugging a bit.

"Don't drag me into this." The teen added, pushing his glass back in. Rukia, meanwhile, seemed to be at a loss for words.

"So then... you tricked me?"

"Does it matter though? The first date might have been a lie, not like we haven't gone on plenty of dates after that," Sora said with a smile.

"You still tricked me."

"And you and Ichigo sneak me on my way back home, I think that makes us equal."

She opened her mouth to retort, but nothing came out.

"And, are you going to tell me you didn't like it?" He said, lightly pinching her cheeks.

Her cheeks turned a rosy red as Sora held her from behind, his hand around her waist.

"Wait... you were serious?" Uryu added, upon looking at the scene.

Yes, this whole time, Uryu did think that Sora was just messing around... which, to be fair, at the beginning, he was.

Sora, his chin currently resting on Rukia's head, looks up at his cousin before saying:

"Well, duh. First, it started with curiosity, but she's pretty cute. Plus, who cares? She's not a noble or something, those old heads can be pretty annoying."

At those words, Sora couldn't help but notice the way the cat's eyes seemed to change, alongside Urahara, and the way Rukia's Reiatsu was reacting.

"Oh... oh... so when do I get to meet my in-laws?" He had a bright smile on his face as if he did nothing wrong.

Ichigo glanced at Sora and Uryu. They were polar opposites—one was book-smart and well-awkward at times, and the other was like a bundle of energy, mischievous as one could be.

"Hey... put me down!" Came Rukia's voice, clearly wanting to be put down.

"No..." Sora replied with a smile on his face.

Eventually, he let her down, when she promised not to hold a grudge. They did leave, though, and Sora returned to work as if nothing had happened.

Though Sora eventually had to meet with his boss.

"What about her attracted you?" were the man's words—not his exact words, but basically what he was trying to say behind all the smart shenanigans.

"Don't know, it wasn't her look. There was this weird, almost familiar energy to her. It didn't feel like Reishi though. It felt different... divine, one might even say."

Urahara seemed to have immediately figured out what that was.

"The Hogyoku..." the man thought to himself. Sora apparently could sense the Hogyoku. The way he described it as being familiar meant that Sora's body—at least his unconscious body—had been exposed to the Hogyoku long enough for him to recognize its energy.

If he were to estimate, probably somewhere from 3 to 6 years, though that would explain his insane growth.

But who would do this? Who would go to such lengths? It's Aizen, isn't it? Didn't even take Urahara that long.

Aizen was the only other person with a Hogyoku and thus the only other person who could have done this.

The question now was why. Why target a random Quincy?

"If that familiar feeling vanishes, would your love also vanish?"

"Fuck no. So what if I came because of that feeling? But it's not the reason I stayed," he said, yawning.

"Oh, by the way, for each question I answer, I get paid overtime."

"That wasn't in the job description," Urahara retorted.

"Nor was being asked a personal question, but oh well, beggars can't be choosers."

The man sighed before looking at Sora and saying, "If Society decides to have her executed, what would you do?"

Sora opened his palm as if asking the man for his paycheck before he replied.

The man handed a check, to which Sora smiled before saying, "I would barge into Soul Society and get her myself."

As he opened the envelope, he realized something.

"Hey... this is Monopoly money."

As he looked for his boss, the man smiled.

"You never specified what extra money you needed."

Sora looked annoyed.

"Well played," he said, clapping his hands.

"I will get you one of these days."

"Shiver me timbers," the man acted like he was scared... but that was BS.

A/N Goddam...one day...one freaking day went from 70 to 140 power stones, double upload it is.