With the Captains suffering casualties and heavy injuries on their side, all hope seemed to be lost... until Shinji Hirako appeared, along with the rest of the former Shinigami. Though the aid of the Vizards certainly helped to draw the battle in their favor, it seemed Aizen's power alone proved too much for them.
"Least I have hobbies, you know outside of, stab stab stab!"
He opened his mouth to think of a comeback, but couldn't really think of one and shut his mouth. "... Urusai, gaki."
"Besides," he started, "I have other hobbies... like taking care of Yachiru."
That came out of his mouth before he could even think of retracting it, and his eye widened ever so slightly. Too late, the damage was done, and all he could do was growl. "... I didn't say that."
"Of course I know how to play them. Do I really seem like the type of girl that would collect something just to have? I have flutes, harps, biwas, and who knows what else. In the secret of my room in the middle of the night I practice, practice, practice. Hell, I don't know if I'm any good, easier to just sing you know?"
"Meh, I wouldn't know." Kenpachi huffed, turning his gaze to her form. "I hate singin', and, I ain't any good at it. You practice all night eh? Doesn't that piss your neighbors off?"
As her thumb skimmed over his hand, he couldn't help but smile, just a little bit. He hadn't had a moment this peaceful in... quite awhile. Once again, without thinking, he turned his hand over and lazily laced his fingers with her own.
"Hey, don't knock cooking, it's actually kind of exciting to take so many ingrediants and, 'poof,' youcome out with a lovely little dish. It's like magic...well more like alchemy, but you wouldn't understand. I'll cook for you sometime, that I know I'm pretty good at it. Because with cooking you reap what you sew."
"Che." He chuckled, slighlty surprised that she held such a thing in such high regard. "I always figured that most girls who cooked were too... tame. They would be scared of a guy like me."
Of course, he didn't really realize that he was talking about Aoide as well, but in all honesty, that's what he thought.
"Like a squad 4 member..." He chuckled absentmindedly, before finally realizing that he was also referring to her. "Well, there's an exception to that, which is ya. But I don' know... maybe you really are afraid of me after all."
"Up there? They would need a very large ladder."
He thought about correcting her before thinking better of him, silently shaking his head in amusement before turning his attention back up to the sky.
"Yeah, I bet she's a handful even for the Demon himself," Aoide spoke smirking a little, "But I like her, reminds me a little of myself if I would have grown up in the Soul Society," Aoide's frowned a little at that, would she have been? From what she could remember from her human life, she had been completely different, but she had grown up in a time when women were expected to stay home, have a family, cook. If she had been born in the Soul Society it would have been different, she doubted that she would have been born into a royal family, let alone be adopted into one. She would have grown up in the streets. Briefly, Aoide wondered if she would have become as tough as Kenpachi or Ikkaku.
"I probably would have been one of those women," Aoide spoke softly, "Actually I was one o those women when I was living with the Yuu family," her cheeks burned softly as she looked down at her and Kenpachi's hand, her own detacting and drawing shapes on the palm of his hand. "I was one of those women, who cooked, who wanted to get married, have children. I was quiet, timid, spoke only when I was suppose to, you know the sort. Perfect for Squad Four, but then the Yuu famil visited the training grounds," Aoide closed her eyes remembering that day, "It was Squad 11 training, you were actually fighting someone else. For some reason the enjoyment, the passion you had for that battle awoke something inside of me. That I didn't want to be quiet, staying on the sidelines waiting for my husband to come home being carried by his men. I wanted to fight too, I didn't want to be weak, that small light of wanting to fight exploded into a flame that day, and its been burning ever since. The wanting to ber stronger, to fight, to be able to protect people, and not just cower and wait for someone else to rescue me!" Aoide opened her eyes, they burned as she spoke, "But I guess some hobbies are hard to quit," she shrugged a little and laid her head back on Kenpachi's chest. Her hand stopped tracing shapes and then entangled her fingers back with his. "Why in the hell would I be afraid of you? You're my friend, and I admire you, you really kick ass when you fight!" she said looking at him with her doe brown eyes and smiling.
"Yeah, I bet she's a handful even for the Demon himself. But I like her, reminds me a little of myself if I would have grown up in the Soul Society."
"Is that so?" He chuckled, turning his atteniton back to her with a small smile etched on his features. "Perhaps you'd like to babysit the brat sometime? I'm sure y'all would get along jez fine."
Because it was dark, he couldn't see the change on Aoide's face, but even if he had, he decided not to say anything about it. He simply continued to breathe deeply, his chest falling and rising with each breath.
It would seem as if the man known as the Demon was completely relaxed.
"I was one of those women, who cooked, who wanted to get married, have children. I was quiet, timid, spoke only when I was suppose to, you know the sort. Perfect for Squad Four, but then the Yuu famil visited the training grounds. It was Squad 11 training, you were actually fighting someone else. For some reason the enjoyment, the passion you had for that battle awoke something inside of me. That I didn't want to be quiet, staying on the sidelines waiting for my husband to come home being carried by his men. I wanted to fight too, I didn't want to be weak, that small light of wanting to fight exploded into a flame that day, and its been burning ever since. The wanting to ber stronger, to fight, to be able to protect people, and not just cower and wait for someone else to rescue me!"
"Huh..." He grunted after she spewed her childhood to him, not sure how to respond for a second. "... Nope! Can't imagine it!"
"Che, you mean to tell me ya were that damsel in distress type?" Kenpachi laughed heartily, squeezing her hand as he did so. "Man I must've really corrupted ya or somethin'. I could nevah see you fit that role."
It made him laugh, to picture Aoide in a nurse's uniform running about Squad 4. Not a kosher sight.
"Why in the hell would I be afraid of you? You're my friend, and I admire you, you really kick ass when you fight!"
He growled slightly before looking at her strainght in the eye, drawing closer to her face in an intimidating glower. "Everyone aside from Yachiru is scared of me. Hell, even Ikkaku is... So why ain't ya?"
He still didn't seem to notice their proximity, and he wasn't at all mad. Kenpachi was just trying to figure it out. How could this woman have no fear of the man who had been rightfully called the Demon?"
Aoide blinked a few times, her eyes narrowing looking straight back into Kenpachi's eyes, "Why should I, you can't make me fear you. There's nothing about you I'm scared about. So you have battlelust, so do Ikkaku and I. So you're tall and burly, so's Captain Komamura, only he has more hair. So you glare a lot and act tough, that's a Squad 11 thing. I really don't see what the big deal is unless you're pushing people around with your Spiritual Energy, and even when you do that I just feel like I'm being crushed. You're just, hm," Aoide spoke her mouth twisting up into a smile, "Kenpachi Zaraki, that's all I see you as."
Aoide put a hand on Kenpachi's chest to push him away as her cheeks flushed, but she grinned even more, "Why, are you afraid of someone immune to your glare?" she asked wiggling her eyebrows looking amused.
"...You're just, hm, Kenpachi Zaraki, that's all I see you as."
He growled slightly as he was pushed backward, before sighing and laying back on the floor, slightly defeated. "Why, are you afraid of someone immune to your glare?"
"... Urusai, Gaki." He scowled in her directing before letting the back of his head hit the floor again. "Other people would call ya strange, ya know that? Even the white maggot don't like ya hangin' around me."
"He thinks you're being poorly influenced." He scoffed, scowl dissapearing slowly and being replaced with a small smile. "I agree with him."
Lazily, he brushed his thumb against hers, back and forth. It seemed as if the man was in deep thought. "But I can respect a person who don't fear me, odd as it is."
"Well then I'd better not let it on to the Kenpachi Zaraki fanclub. Those girls might kidnap me and vivisect me to try to find out the answer," she said rolling her eyes, the blush from her cheeks slowly fading. Why did he have to get so close? He was the only guy that Aoide knew that could bother her by getting into her personal space. That, and him being that close a few moments agao, she could actually feel the heat from his gigai, it had given her goosebumps.
"Captain Baba worries too much, he lectures to me about hanging out with you guys, but when he needs someone to spar with the lower ranking Shinigami he picks me. Really he's too uptight and picky for someone so young," Aoide spoke, oddly enough, finally realizing that her and Kenpachi were holding hands, his thumb running along hers. The skin on her arm broke out in goosebumps, "Stop that, yoo're being too friendly," she scowled, not even thinking about the irony of calling Kenpachi friendly.
"Well then I'd better not let it on to the Kenpachi Zaraki fanclub. Those girls might kidnap me and vivisect me to try to find out the answer."
He scoffed at that, laughing rather heartily. "Things like that don't exist."
" 'Nd if they do..." His face transformed to form a slight smile. "I wouldn't want that... People are bettah' off fangirlin' over Shunsui or somethin'."
"Captain Baba worries too much, he lectures to me about hanging out with you guys, but when he needs someone to spar with the lower ranking Shinigami he picks me. Really he's too uptight and picky for someone so young."
"Peh." Kenpachi chuckled tracing the constellations with his eyes. "If he weren't stern, no one would take a kid like 'im seriously. Think about it." "Stop that, yoo're being too friendly."
"Eh?" He raised an eyebrow, gaze falling on her scowling face with almost no idea what she was talking about. Leave to the captain to be perceptive in battle, but completely clueless in romance. "What're you talkin' about?"
Clearly getting the wrong message, Kenpachi lifted up on his elbow with his free arm and propped himself up. "I get it... I think I've found a way to prove that you're scared of me..."
"That odd comment gave ya away." He said with a triumphant smile on his face. He obviously didn't understand what she was talking about.
Glaring her in the eye with their foreheads almost touching, a malicious smirk broke his features. " 'Nd here I was actually buyin' the tough act. But looks like I've still gotten the skill to frighten everyone but Yachiru."
Turning his head back to the sky, he seemd to have no idea
Aoide laughed, "I bet you a crate of my sake, that yes there is a Kenpachi fanclub in the Soul Society. You just don't notice these things, but I do. Just notice the next time you have an open training session, there's alway a few girls in the back who are totally lusting over the barbaric Demon thing," Aoide said grinning. "Psh I know why Captain Baba-chan does what he does and acts like he acts, but please deliver a box of candy and watch him through the window and then see how he acts," Aoide rolled her eyes and blew at her bangs to get them out of her face.
""I get it... I think I've found a way to prove that you're scared of me... 'Nd here I was actually buyin' the tough act. But looks like I've still gotten the skill to frighten everyone but Yachiru," Kenpachi said his forehead almost touch Aoide's. Her chest seemed to squeeze around her heart as she let out a slow breath as she looked into his eyes. Then her eyes narrowed and her lips pursed together.
"THWACK!" Aoude's shoe made contact with Kenpachi's face, "Baka!" she said her voice filled with venom as she got to her feet, "Too friendly, this, this is too friendly shesh!" she said lifting her hand which was still attached to Kenpachi's, "You're Captain Zaraki, super powerful! You should even let yourself do things like this! I'm Aoide Sato, compared to you and me we shouldn't even be speaking to one another and you're just holding my hand, getting close to my face, being way too friendly," Aoide said trying hard not to yell as she tried to put her shoe back on, but was having difficulty seeing as her hand was still holding Kenpachi's. She finally lost her balance and fell to her knees, she let out a long sigh, "You're so retarded, I'm not scared of you but when you get so close, it flusters me."
"I bet you a crate of my sake, that yes there is a Kenpachi fanclub in the Soul Society. You just don't notice these things, but I do. Just notice the next time you have an open training session, there's alway a few girls in the back who are totally lusting over the barbaric Demon thing,"
He blinked a couple times before raising an eyebrow. "I don't believe you." Was he really that unobservant? Not to notice a... fanclub?
The thought of it made him shudder.
Nani? THACK! For all he speed and prowess, the one named the Demon had no clue that a shoe had been flying towards him, and he promptly fell over. "What'd ya do that fer?!"
"You're Captain Zaraki, super powerful! You should even let yourself do things like this! I'm Aoide Sato, compared to you and me we shouldn't even be speaking to one another and you're just holding my hand, getting close to my face, being way too friendly..."
He blinked, rubbing his nose absentmindedly with about a hundred thoughts to none going through his head. First of all, he was shocked to all hell that she would hit him. Secondly, way too friendly? What was she babbling on about? All he had done was try to be intimidating.
"... What the hell are ya goin' on about?" He growled, attempting to release his hand from her own. But, he couldn't.
All because she seemed to have a vice-like grip on his own. That was odd, it was probably something she didn't even seem to notice.
"You're so retarded, I'm not scared of you but when you get so close, it flusters me."
This made him pause for a moment. If their relationship was nothing but platonic... then why would she get so flustered about... anything? It shouldn't be fear, because she adamantly said that she was not afraid of him... then why get flustered? It was something that he couldn't wrack his brains to find.
Unless... no... it couldn't be.
"Aoide..." Kenpachi began, turning his gaze to the side and looking at their interlocked hands. "... Are you... interested... in me?"
Aoide went silent, not noticing how this entire time her and Kenpachi's hand were still entwined with one another. With her free hand she smacked her forehead, was she really going to answer that question, yet he had asked. Aoide sputtered her lips in trying to think what she wanted to say, was she interested in Kenpachi Zaraki? The Demon himself, whose only goal in life was to find the strongest fighter so he could have the ultimate fight. The man that called her brat all the time and would muss her hair with his gigantic hand just to piss her off. Then man you was devoted to taking care of Yachiru. The man who had surprised her with a trip to the human after having just one conversation. Aoide's eyes moved upward to look into Kenpachi's grey ones, this man who was supposively wild, who had no soul, who randomly in secret did nice things. But when he did those things...
"Sometimes," Aoide said chewing on the bottom of her lip before waving her free hand franticly, "I mean that's not the reason why I hang out at Squad 11 so much. I like hanging out because I get a good workout, you guys are my friends, and I'm generally more comfortable around you guys then my own squad," Aoide said sighing again and lowering her head, "It's just sometimes you do things, and I don't know what I feel."
"But it's silly to even think about it!" she said looking back up ay Kenpachi with a slightly sad smile on her lips, "First of all there's our ranking, I think Captain Baba-chan wuld shit bricks if he even suspected the two of us let alone what the rest of the officer of Gotei 13 would do. Second, I'm a lot weaker power and fighting wise, I don't know I always figure you'd want someone as strong as you, maybe Unohana or something. Thirdly, what the fuck would Captain Zaraki, the Demon have anything to do with Aoide Sato the spazz? Half the time I'm surprised you put up with me, with my rabbling, klutz moments, and when I drink all your sake. See," Aoide stopped and rubbed her forehead, "I'm just really comfortable around you."
