Rukia: Who The Fuck Is Burning Down My Kitchen??

Zaraki Kenpachi for the hot ask game! 😌

THANK U FOR THE ASK <3

Not My Type | Alright | Cute | Adorable | Pretty | Gorgeous | LORD MERCY

he's fine as efffff....he's not my fav (for now :P) but he's got it going on for sureeeee 🔥🔥🔥

Him going in to grab my a$$

let this man eat

━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ THREE FOR THREE

Rōjūrō (Rose) x female reader x Izuru Kira

3.8k

❁ Warning: Smut, nsfw, angst to smut, threesome, double penetration, anal fingering and rimming, vaginal penetration, anal penetration, inexperienced Izuru, premature ejaculation, marriage, secretly Rose x Izuru coded, love triangle, immediately post tybw, reader is Izuru’s best friend.

RoZuruPalooza 2025 Event

A hot summer, peaceful afternoon. The peace that came with a price.  

The broken man lay under the beating sun, hoping the warmth would take away that deep-seated pain. He places his foreign hand on the emptiness carved into his chest, finding nothing to grasp onto but rusty rods beneath the fabric. He closes his eyes for a moment, the heavy lids getting harder to pry open with each passing second he spends under the warmth. If only the warmth could reach his forsaken heart and fill up the emptiness that lay deep within his wound. 

You walk towards the withering garden of Squad 3, holding a neatly wrapped lunch box in one hand and your lover’s arm in the other. You were planning a picnic with your partner, the Captain of Squad 3 while basking under the sun. You are the first to spot your best friend, who happens to be the Lieutenant of Squad 3, lying on a sparse patch of lush grass and dozing off. You look up at your lover and the generous man gives you an approving smile and nod.

Izuru notices the approaching footsteps, immediately recognizing the spiritual pressures. If it was anyone else, he would not have been bothered. But your presence is what stirred something unfamiliar inside his chest. You were that warmth he had been seeking, yet you were unattainable. 

His eyes slowly flutter open, and his gaze instantly lands on you. He could hear the thumping of his own heart against his broken rib cage.

“Want to join us for a picnic?” you offer with a smile so contagious it makes his lips twitch, threatening to break him free from the cold stoic expression. 

He looks up at his Captain, who offers him the same smile of reassurance. 

Izuru didn’t answer but instead began to assist with setting up the picnic. All three settle down to enjoy a nice home-cooked meal surrounded by the ruins of a recent war, devastation etched in time.

Chit-chat was kept to a minimum while everyone indulged. Izuru, your best friend for years, never had much to say. And after the war, he refused to open up to you or anyone else. He made purposeful attempts to avoid you and that did not go unnoticed. So you were glad to catch him off guard today and snag him up for a meal. Although, the awkwardness was hard to cut through. 

Rose detects the dense air and decides to be the first to stir up a meaningful conversation.

“Delicious meal as always. I wouldn't mind having this again for dinner”, Rose comments while carefully observing you and Izuru behind his shimmering golden locks that reflect the sun so perfectly. His hair had a healthy glow while Izuru’s blonde strands were as dull as his complexion. 

“Oh! I made plenty! You know me. Cooking for a village”, you let out a chuckle between mouthfuls.

Izuru quietly ate, slowly chewing on a few grains of rice, not particularly sure if he should join in on the domestic conversation that did not involve him. He hated being the third wheel in every situation.

“You overdid it again? Now what will we do with the extra food?”, Rose hints at you with his eyes locked directly at Izuru. 

“Izuru, do you like the food?”, you pick up on the cues and go straight to your target.

Izuru has barely touched the food because his stomach is in knots. “Of course. Why wouldn't I”, was his dry reply. 

“Perfect! Come for dinner tonight and help us finish the food!”, you suggest with a cheerful smile. You look over at Rose and he gives you another head nod. “Captain’s order!”

Izuru failed to realize he fell into a trap. For a while, he actively kept his distance and ignored his heart’s desires, trying to untangle free from those feelings—convincing himself they were nothing more but a fleeting phase. But he would never forget the day before the war when he caught sight of the gold engagement ring flashing on your finger.

The ring was an unspoken vow—a promise to survive the battle and return to your spouse, his Captain. It was at that moment that Izuru realized that his feelings were more than just a small crush. The ring on your finger almost shattered him in half and the war took care of the rest, leaving him empty and broken. 

——————-

Dinner was quick. Again, minimal chatter. You realize it isn't appropriate to discuss private family matters in front of Izuru. Best to just talk about work or the weather, which isn't enough to keep the conversation lively or engaging.

As dinner ends, Rose helps clear the table and walks into the kitchen with you. He took off his Captain Haori before dinner and pinned aside his messy blonde bangs to help wash the dishes while you prepare some tea. Well, the tea never got served.

Through the kitchen window, you notice Izuru walking out on you without a farewell or a thank you. The sound of giggles and soft chuckles from the kitchen told him all he needed to know—he had overstayed his welcome. 

“Izuru!”, you yell for him once you step outside. He didn't get too far so you know he heard you clearly, but he acts oblivious. 

“Hey! I know you heard me!”, you try again while chasing after him with teeth grinding and anger brewing inside you. 

He does not run. Instead, he walks at a steady pace as if he is carrying a heavy burden on his back. So you catch up with him very quickly.

You had enough of his sulking. You had put up with his gloomy attitude far too long and did not deserve the cold shoulder.

“Why are you pushing everyone out of your life? Is it self-pity or playing the victim? Because in case you didn't notice, we are all victims of this war”, you finally snap at him. Months of walking on eggshells had finally made your toes bleed. 

“Tell me that when you have a gaping hole in your chest”, he meant it both literally and figuratively.

“I lost my friends. People lost their families. I would take a hole in my chest any day rather than perish forever!” you reply, the hatred growing with your racing heartbeat and ragged breath.

“So you want a hole in your chest?”, he tests your resolve and steps forward, closing in the distance between you two.

You glare back at him, challenging him. Your eyes say it all. ‘You wouldn't dare’.

Izuru takes another step, and you follow by taking a step back to keep a distance. This pursuit continues for a few more strides before your back lands flat against a charred tree. You had never seen Izuru seething with rage, so you weren’t sure what might burst out from all that bottled-up anger. Best to keep your distance in case gravity decides to burden you. 

You are caged. He has you pinned against the hollow tree and you flinch when he lifts his fake right hand. You half expect a slap across your face but instead, his cold dead fingers rest under your chin. Your eyes quickly blink open only to find his face inches away from yours. His warm breath feels like fire against your skin. But the coldness in his eyes gives you the chills. Once upon a time, you could read past those tired weary eyes. But not anymore.

His fingers trace along your jaw before tipping your chin back, guiding your gaze upwards. His eyes are dead and subsequently it feels like his soul has withered away, like the gardens of Squad 3. 

“Only you can heal that hole”, he declares, pushing past his doubts. Before you can process and respond, your lips are already taken by his. 

The kiss is not an accident. It is a display of passion that has been suppressed for years. He worried about peace at the expense of his happiness. The moment his lips touched yours, time slowed down and morality had no place in his heart. 

You have no energy to push him away. Your body feels heavy from the overbearing emotions and conflict. His other hand is brave enough to be roaming all over the side of your rigid body. But his exploration doesn't last long. The brief moment of bliss is disrupted before he can savor it. 

He feels a tight grip on the back of his Shihakushō. Suddenly he is pried off your lips and separated from your body. You look up at your fiance, who is now dragging Izuru away from you and towards the house. It happened so fast that you did not get a chance to read his face. 

You run after them, chasing, because your Rose was walking like he was on a mission. You catch up to him and find Izuru thrown on the couch, the younger blonde has no willpower to fight back. He grasped the seriousness of his mistake but there were no regrets. He would gladly bear the consequences of his actions. 

Rose stands in front of the convict with both arms crossed across his chest. There was something very wrong with the picture that played before you. Rose didn't seem as upset as you thought he would be. He should be in a fury to have witnessed another man kissing his wife-to-be. Instead, he silently stands there, right foot tapping rhythmically to a song stuck in his head, not a single stress wrinkle on his perfectly symmetrical face. 

You walk behind Rose, placing your right hand on his relaxed shoulder. The silence brought out suspense, which was gnawing at you in the most nauseating way possible. So you were the first to break the stillness.

“Izuru was about to leave. I'm sure it was merely a kiss of farewell”, you try to defend your friend with a lame excuse that makes you look just as guilty. 

Izuru sat there, looking down at his feet, toes wiggling to make sure he was still awake and alive. He isn’t sure what awaits him. Neither are you.

Suddenly the tension in the room is pierced by a soft chuckle from your man. You look up at your fiance and sure enough, he is playing a giant smirk on his handsome face, laughing to his heart’s content. You cock an eyebrow, wondering what was so amusing about this situation. Was this one of those social experiments? Or worse, a prank?

Izuru is also baffled by his Captain’s reaction. He didn't expect his head to roll but there should be some repercussions for his audacious actions. 

“You alright hun?”, you ask, worried if the laughter was an act before the deadly climactic scene. 

Rose was a gentle soul but even so, he should be furious and enraged to see his Lieutenant kissing his partner. Instead, he is standing there wiping away tears of joy. 

“Follow me”, Rose finally broke out of the mad man laughter and began to walk towards the bedroom.

You pass Izuru a glance who is nervous for what awaits him.

As you enter the room with your confused but cautious friend, Rose quickly grabs your hand, pins you up against the wall and kisses you hard on the lips. You moan into his mouth, your arms wrapping around his neck to fully embrace him. With his hair out of his face, you could see the possessive look in his eyes. 

“This is how you kiss my lady”, he says after breaking away from the heated kiss. He turns to face Izuru and steps aside, making room for the younger man.

Izuru blinks a few times and looks at you. You shrug; unsure and confused. Was this a test? Both of you simply stand there, facing each other and looking dumbfounded, like two virgins unsure how to proceed. 

“We are set to marry in a month. I can't have you pining over a married woman. So whatever you have going on, release it now”, Rose explains in a very calm voice. He walked away to put on some music in the background that would lift the spirits. Music was life. And he never failed to find the right melody for the occasion. 

Once permission was granted, everything thereafter became a blur because all you craved was for Izuru to touch you in places he was never meant to touch. And your friend did not hesitate one bit, pinning you down on the bed and crawling on top of you, first undressing you with his eyes and then undressing you with his eager hands. 

He takes you in from head to toe, your raw beauty had him throbbing in his pants. The soft mattress, designed for only two, dips beneath Rose as he sits by your head, grasping your wrist– a silent reminder not to grow too attached to the man hovering above you.

Your body tingles and prickles up with goosebumps. Once Izuru is done eating you up with his eyes, his lips press up against your burning forehead. Small little kisses travel down your face and along your flushed cheeks and jaw. Your lips quiver with anticipation, and that is where he finally settles. His kisses aren’t deep, but soft smooches, lips smacking over and over again as he makes up for the lost years. Rose begins to draw soft little circles on the palm of your hand, ensuring you didn't completely lose yourself to another man.

His lips finally leave your face and trail down under your chin. Once his wandering lips reach your sensitive neck, it is game over. There was a growing ache between your legs and you craved some friction to ease the discomfort. With his knee planted between your legs, your body jerks upward, begging for more than just his lips. 

But Izuru was very much like your Rose. He liked to take his time to appreciate your body by worshipping every inch of skin. As blissful as it sounds, it was nothing but a torturous long ordeal for you.  

Luckily, Izuru was still inexperienced and could not wait any longer. He discarded his pants to the side but refused to expose his upper half in fear of judgement and he believed he was sparing you the grotesque view.

Not wanting to push him out of his comfort zone, you went along with it. As he aligns himself between your legs, stroking his cock with one hand while massaging the inside of your thighs with the other, Rose decides to intervene and pushes Izuru to the side so he can lead the show.

At this point, Izuru is growing frustrated and ready to throw a fit but Rose calmly places his index finger against his quivering lip. 

“Settle down, won't you? Lay on your back”, Rose commands him. 

He has no choice but to follow orders from his Captain, considering how he was borrowing his woman. So Izuru swallows his pride and stretches out on his back. Rose grabs your hand by the wrist and pushes you on top of the Lieutenant who is splayed out for you like an appetizer on a table. 

Izuru didn’t expect to feel his Captain's soft hands around his cock. It felt weird and awkward but surprisingly it made him throb under the warm touch. 

Rose pumps Izuru’s length a few times, watching the younger man squirm beneath while locking eyes with him. It doesn’t take long for precum to collect around the sensitive tip, which he evenly spreads out to give the membrane a nice glossy finish before he settles you down on it.

Once content with the preparations, Rose grabs your waist with his other hand and slowly guides you down onto Izuru’s erect cock. He closely watches another man’s dick penetrate and disappear deep inside your pussy.

Izuru let out a groan, the feeling of your soft walls hugging his length for the first (and probably last) time. Oh, he could just lay there and relish in the moment but instincts told him to start fucking. 

He is definitely impatient. There is no rhythm with Izuru’s thrusts as he greedily chases for his high, slapping his hips from underneath while you try to match his sloppy pace. His hands were firmly holding onto your waist, anchoring you on top so you wouldn’t slip away from his grasp. As you get comfortable with his cock and relinquish yourself to pleasure, you are suddenly put to another challenge.

You feel the delicate hand of your fiance come from behind and caress your spine. He trails his long fingers down your back and towards your bouncing ass. His other hand rests on the back of your head and he slowly guides your body forward and on top of Izuru’s chest. You quickly understand his motives and you happily follow his guidance. 

Izuru however had no idea how this was progressing. You press your chest up against Izuru, feeling the gap and rods through the fabric of his uniform. Rose had already stripped himself naked and showed no hesitation to proudly display the battle scars that tainted his torso. 

You hear some rustling as he prepares for the grand entrance. It wasn't your first time but the prep work was definitely necessary to avoid injuries and hurting you.

Izuru slowed down with his mindless thrusts so he could tilt his head sideways and see what Rose was scheming. But Rose’s face had disappeared behind your bubbly ass. A puff of warm breath tickled Izuru’s balls, causing him to suddenly flinch and tense up. 

You can’t help but let out a chuckle which quickly turns into an ugly moan. You feel your man’s tongue and fingers invade your tight entrance. You tremble and grab Izuru’s hand to ground yourself. 5 minutes felt like an eternity. Izuru can’t control himself either, occasionally humping himself into you, reminding his cock to stay alert. You tighten your walls around his cock, smothering it and the fingers that probed you. 

Eventually, Rose is satisfied with his handy work. The clueless man beneath you still could not comprehend the performance that was about to be showcased.

Rose aligns himself square against your twitching wet hole drooling with his spit. The melody changes in the background as if he were conducting the symphony, guiding it towards the next act. 

With your beautiful moans came the untethered groans below. Izuru could feel the invading fat girth next door, narrowing his own channel and choking his cock and increasing the resistance that came from within you.

Unlike Izuru, Rose had a perfect rhythm going to the beat. And with patience and practice, he guided Izuru through the same. “Follow the notes, Izuru”, he guided while slapping his hips in perfect harmony. 

Unfortunately, Izuru was the first to reach a premature climax, putting a damper on the performance. He couldn't tell if this was a wet dream or if he indeed was about to taint his friend’s womb. Before he could question his sanity, ropes of cum escape the spastic tip and paint your walls with the foreign seed. 

“I'm sorry!” Izuru apologizes, attempting to pull out mid-orgasm but Rose keeps your body securely in place with his weight from behind. 

No one seemed to care that Izuru just ejected his fertile seed into your womb. The show must go on. 

Rose pauses with his thrusts and grabs Izuru’s limp sensitive cock by the balls and pulls him out of you. He proceeds to pull his cock out of your unfavourable hole and quickly inserts himself into the well-used and freshly creamed pot, dragging Izuru’s thick seed further in. Messy wet sounds exude out of your sex with each thrust. Cum slowly drips down and pools onto its owner's slick thighs as he holds you firmly by the waist from below. 

You are sandwiched between two warm bodies. Neither one wants to let you go as you become an entangled mess on the bed. 

The pitch of your moans guides Rose to his next act. He can tell you are close so he quickened his pace. Izuru can feel your entire body jolt with each thrust as you tightly clutch onto his shoulders. 

A few more thrusts and you are fully stuffed like an eclair. Rose’s fresh hot cum washes away the old remnants from before, your convulsing walls gladly accepting the fresh load.

You collapse on top of the Lieutenant while Rose pulls himself out of your leaky pussy. A backflow of cum comes ejecting out to add to the messy concoction of fluids that had collected on Izuru’s thigh. 

Rose begins to clean up the mess. Izuru held you close against his warm chest while you recovered from the tag team production. Although this wasn’t what he expected, he had to admit he wouldn’t mind another round of it. 

Once you are all cleaned up, you stand up and drag Izuru off the bed so you can change the bedsheets. 

“Wait, that's it?” Izuru realized it was all over and he didn't get to savor the moment he had been yearning for years. If he knew he was going to be granted the opportunity to fuck you, he would have jerked off earlier so that he could last a little longer than 15 minutes. Now he wanted a do-over. 

Rose’s goal was to have Izuru get that sexual frustration out of his system and work out his feelings. Even though you were completely oblivious, he could see how much Izuru longed for you. 

But this whole ordeal had the opposite effect—it only made Izuru want you even more.

You see the disappointed look on Izuru’s face and hand him some blankets and a pillow, inviting him to stay the night and sleep in the spare room. It was hard not to notice his hard cock. You shake your head although you do take pride in having that effect on him. 

“What do you mean ‘that's it?’ What are you, a horny teenager? Get to bed. We got work tomorrow”, came your commanding voice, hiding a mischievous grin. 

———

A month later, you were married to the love of your life. It was a small celebration. Very few had gathered at the restored gardens of Squad 3. 

Izuru watches from afar as you hand your heart over to the Captain, binding your souls for all eternity. He feels a heaviness in his chest although he spent days mentally rehearsing for this moment. His external wounds were slowly healing but the internal ones continued to fester. The memories of that particular night was enough to open up a new wound. Such a cruel way to say your goodbyes. 

The newlyweds were now enjoying a nice picnic in the garden. Everyone said their congratulations and goodbyes. Izuru is the last one to sulk around and you spot him from the corner of your eyes as you lay down the picnic blanket. He walks over, handing you a small wedding gift, a gold necklace with a marigold flower pendant dangling from the chain.

“Thank you! It’s beautiful!”, you reply and turn around so he can fasten the clasp. “Want to join us for a picnic? I made more than usual. You know me, always cooking for a village”, you say with a hidden sly smirk he could not see because you had your back turned.

Izuru felt a wave of nausea wash over him. Every night he had been reliving that intimate moment that played repetitively in his head until his wrists grew tired. 

Rose sneaks up behind Izuru and casually rests his arm across his shoulders while addressing you. “You overdid it again, sweetheart? Now what will we do with the extra food?” 

There was a moment of silence as Izuru was expected to step in and say his part.

“Sure. I’ll join you two for dinner”, Izuru replies, purposefully falling for the same trap twice. 

(a/n: My initial ending was very sad. But i cant. I love writing comedy and sassy stuff. So I’m not upset about it. BUT if the ending wasn’t clear, let me know or interpret it as you desire!) 

the category is: . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁BLEACH MEN. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁

early 2000s rap/hip hop/r&b reminds me of Shinji 😭 (don't ask why i have no good reason). i'm sorry if i missed ur pookie i tried to fit in as many of our men as possible 🫶🏼

Me when I receive princess treatment

my hair is soooo pullable and yet nobody is using it to put me in my place. fucked up

For @tomitsulikeslemons~

I did my best, but figure drawing has never been one of my strengths. I couldn’t help but emo-fy him, and then the pen slipped as I was finishing shadowing his face. It’s fine. This is fine.

The Last Petal

Shunsui x widow reader (Jushiro's wife)

2.5k

Warning and mental health TRIGGERS: Mention of alcohol, angst, reader was Jushiro’s wife, Shunsui taking advantage of vulnerable Reader, no explicit smut but mention of sleeping with Reader while she is confused, ptsd, concussion, confusion, denial, alcohol, alcoholism, despair, depression, mental health, grief, a sad cryptic ending.

❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀

As we sit here under the dancing stars, sharing our last drink, promise me that you will take care of her. That is my last request, my friend. You owe me that much.    — Jushiro 

One month post-war.

You woke up, drenched in sweat and noticed a lumpy warm figure nuzzled beside you. You felt a heaviness in your chest. Although the dark, quiet room brought a sense of calm, the very darkness stirred your anxious soul.

Your husband laid still as if he was catching up on sleep. 

You had a dream. You dreamt of your husband finally breaking free of the curse that was his illness. The curse he never disclosed, even to his wife up until the peak moment of the war. The war that cost him his life and left you a widow. 

Yet, here he laid, on your bed as if the war was nothing but a nightmare, crafted from the trauma that continued to linger. While the dream you just had felt more real, the truth was, you had your realities confused. 

You press your head back down on the pillow, your mind numb and memories hazy. During the war, you had experienced a terrible blow to the head. A concussion that skewed all judgement— you could not think straight. Neither could he.

You closed your eyes, your head was spinning and your ears were ringing. That ringing had never left you, as if it echoed the screams of soldiers consumed by the war. 

From within those screams, a faint sound of snoring comes beside you. Your husband never was the one to snore. He suffered from chronic insomnia because of his illness and he never slept so peacefully. But now that he broke free from the curse, he could rest in peace.

You suffered from short-term memory loss and post-concussion syndrome. Every day felt like a dream as you walked around with a constant headache, tinnitus and tunnel vision. 

Your head was spinning and memories from last night were fragmented, like your heart. Even now, you couldn't tell if you were awake or dreaming. Your brain could not distinguish between the two.

Your body was sore but not because of the injuries you sustained from the war. You felt a warmth between your legs that spread upwards towards your core and up your chest, finally wrapping around your heart and giving it a firm squeeze. Panic was slowly brewing. You clench your chest as if you are grabbing for your racing heart, trying to rip it out of your chest as guilt slowly drains your vigour. Why was there guilt and this overwhelming sense of dread? You didn't do anything wrong. Did you?

With your heart thumping theatrically in your rib cage, you extend out your hand, hoping to feel your fingers glide through his silky but fragile strands of white hair. But alas, your hands grab onto coarse locks of messy loose curls. You could not see the colour because the room was dark. 

You did not need the light to notice the lack of radiance. Your husband's hair had a shine that grabbed you from the darkness and guided you towards the light. The hair you had grasped was dark, thick and dull— just like his heart.

You felt a wave of nausea surge through you like an unstoppable storm. You covered your mouth, finding it impossible to contain that involuntary gasp that stirred up the sleeping man beside you— the man who had claimed the space where your late husband once slept. 

“No! No! No!” came your trembling denial. 

Your brain came up with inexcusable excuses, a desperate desire to justify your current sleeping arrangement.

He must have decided to give me company last night after we visited the graves. Why was I at the cemetery? Whose grave was I visiting? Where is my husband, Jushiro? 

Shunsui sensed the turmoil that disturbed your grieving soul. He woke up, his eyelids heavy with sleep as not much sleep was granted last night. He had a few drinks to numb the sorrow and now his mind was buzzing from the aftermath. He also felt a wave of nausea which he quickly swallowed down as his pride was at stake.

He studied your face in the dark, his night vision a lot sharper than yours. He saw the dreadful shock etched across your face. He shuffled, slowly sitting up, revealing his bare chest glistening with night sweats. It was warm in your room. He was warm. But your husband was always cold. 

Although warm, a shocking chill ran through your sweaty body. The nausea still lingered but there was no rush to get to the nearest bathroom. You slowly grabbed the blanket and pulled it closer to your body and up to your neck. He sat still, his face calm—satisfied, unapologetic. However, he had to choose his words carefully. He understood he was treading on thin ice, and it wouldn’t take much to crack you.

“Good morning, Petal. You look restless. What disturbs your sleep? Another nightmare?” came his soothing but groggy whisper. 

Why did he have to speak? It made this dream all so real.

“Where is my husband?”, you asked, gathering more of the blanket around you to shield yourself.

“Oh my dear, you know where he is. We visited him last night”, he patiently reminded you. He kept a distance between you, hoping you would slowly recall last night's event, sparing him the need to explain his actions. 

“Why are you in my bed? I know this is a dream but still. Please get my husband. Ouch”, you whinced and grabbed your temples when a sharp pain pierced through your skull. These daily ice-pick headaches were relentless, never granting you a moment of ease.

Shunsui reached out with his hand to comfort you, a look of pity in his tired eyes, which even in the dark you could spot that familiar soft gaze. His fingertips barely grazed over the skin of your forearm that tightly clenched onto the blanket to preserve your dignity. You did not hesitate to smack his hand away. 

“My dear. You know exactly where your husband is. Please just settle down”. He tried to comfort your anxious mind but you pushed him away.

You refuse to face reality. “Can you just go”, you begged him with your eyes all the while fighting back tears. You couldn't stand being around him. Yet, you were the one who came to him seeking comfort. 

Shunsui wanted to ease your mind and make you aware that nothing happened last night. Emotions were high and after a couple of drinks, things would have progressed very quickly. Luckily, Shunsui couldn't get it up. And so a crisis was diverted all the while you sobbed in his chest, celebrating the one-month anniversary of the departure of your dear late husband. 

As soon as he opened his mouth to explain last night, you burst into tears. 

“Just get out!” you shouted when he made another attempt to comfort you. 

Shunsui stayed silent. He didn’t want to fracture you any more than you already were.

He got up and gathered his belongings off the floor. He headed towards the bathroom to quickly clean up while you sank back under the blankets, waiting for this nightmare to end.

——

Many of the survivors were reassigned to different squads to help maintain balance (both in power and numbers) within the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. Previously, you were in squad 10. Now you were under the direct watch of the Head Captain himself. He even promoted you so he could casually bump into you more often. Your well-being had concerned him. It had become an unhealthy obsession that even Nanao couldn't ignore.

“Give her some space. You are smothering her”, said the co-lieutenant while dropping a bunch of heavy registers on his desk.

“I can't let her drown in her sorrows”, he replied. While working on the grim task of going through the names of casualties so he could officially register them as deceased, he decided to replace his morning tea with alcohol. That had become his daily morning gloomy routine. 

“It seems the one drowning in sorrow is you”. Nanao didn't pity the man. She knew he was stronger than this. Alcohol was his way of grieving. But as the Head Captain, he did not have the luxury to grieve. 

“Take my advice”, Nanao paused for a second at the door before her departure. “Don't do anything that would have Captain Ukitake turn in his grave”.

Once Nanao left, he reached for a folded parchment that was tucked away neatly in his pants.

“Turn in his grave, you say? I think we are way past that now, Nanao”. 

——-

Later that day, you were spotted outside, sweeping away rubble from fallen buildings. A mindless task for you as you cannot focus on anything else meaningful. Not that cleaning up wasn't meaningful. Everyone had to pitch in and do at least 4 hours of manual labour every day to help restore Seireitei to its former glory. 

With each stroke of your wooden broom, your mind actively wanders to dark places. A pit of despair awaits you and you get pulled in towards the center. You try to scream but the void creates no sound. You are lost in the darkness of it all. Not a single light shines to guide your soul out of the darkness. And as all hope is lost, you notice a small pink flower petal fall towards you. You extend out your hand, trying to grab the single petal that so gracefully dances like a snowflake. And as you close your fist around it, you open your eyes and find yourself holding onto the pink kimono draped around his shoulders. 

“There she is. You had me worried there for a moment, princess. Are you alright?”

You glanced up at him with a glossy gaze, unsure what had transpired. One moment you were sweeping—then suddenly, you were swallowed by darkness.

You let go of his clothes and he grabbed the broom out of your hand. You had zoned out for a few minutes and were inattentively sweeping the same spot over and over again. 

“You shouldn't be doing any physical labour. That is why I gave you an officer’s position”, Shunsui said.

“Regardless of your position, you are still required to pitch in on the efforts to restore the Soul Society. Captains and Head Captains are also not exempt from this civil duty”, you explained, still shaken up from what you had experienced. 

“And the injured are exempt. That includes me”, he joked while pointing to his eye patch, although the man never needed any valid excuse to be lazy.

“I have no physical injuries”, you argued.

“Exactly. No physical injuries that we can see. But your heart is still injured”. He set the broom aside against a giant boulder and took a step towards you. His hand rested under your chin and he ran the padding of his thumb across your quivering bottom lip. “Let me personally tend to that wound”. 

Your body is frozen. His warm touch is comforting and you seek for more. You desperately want to cling to him so you don't fall back down into despair. 

Fortunately, no one was around to witness the shameless display of disloyalty— a betrayal by his best friend and his wife. It was only a matter of time before he captured your lips, your sweet soft lips that pulled him out of his own pit of despair. 

You had no willpower to push him away. Instead, you deepen the kiss by wrapping your arms around his neck to anchor him down. You did not want that petal to be picked up by the wind and blown away.

Both surrender to passion, searching desperately for solace. It is the familiarity that pushes you onwards. You are reminded of the day when you first met him. It was before you met your late husband, Jushiro. 

-flashback-

Once upon a time, a few centuries ago, you had gifted your heart to Shunsui. But then he introduced you to his best friend, Jushiro. Well, one look at the angel had you instantly fall in love. 

Unbeknownst to you, for years, Jushiro felt the guilt of stealing his best friend's woman. But Shunsui played it cool as if you were just another woman and a short fling. You thought the same, given his well-known reputation.

But the truth was, Shunsui never got past you. You stole his heart and shattered it the day you married his best friend. Given Shunsui's calm demeanour, he made it seem like it never bothered him. But Jushiro could see the pain he caused his friend. 

And that last night they spent together under the stars, the crickets played one last song as old friends reminisced over aged sake. Jushiro gave Shunsui a handwritten letter addressed to his wife and also returned the heart he had previously stolen. 

————

Shunsui hands you that letter. You recognize your husband's writing. It wrenches your heart, knowing this was the last message he had for you. 

My dear wife, 

I hope by the time you find this letter, you have finished mourning for me. 

For years, I have hidden this dark secret from my beloved, shielding her from the evil that plagues this world. But now, I can no longer offer her that protection.

And so, I pass on my duty to my dear old friend. But knowing him, he’s likely already made a mess of things. Forgive him, if you can—grace is not his strong suit and his reputation precedes him.

If you must hate anyone, hate me, the man who could not fulfill his duty to protect his wife. Bear no ill will to the man who only wishes to protect his delicate flower. The flower he once plucked but was selfishly stolen from within his tight grasp. He should have held onto that flower tighter. 

And now he shall.

Always keep me in your heart but never let it be a burden.

Your loving husband, 

— Jushiro 

You felt your heart slowly settling. Listening to your husband's poetic words in your head gives you a sense of calmness. But it also made his death more tangible. It was a reminder that he was truly gone from this world and his soul probably began its next journey ahead. 

You reach into your pocket and for a moment he foolishly thought you were about to hand him your house keys.

Instead, you present him with a letter of your own. He quietly reads the words that are not as poetic as your husband's and reopens unseen wounds from the past.

Nevertheless, he ignores the heartache and wears that familiar, deceitful smile. The same nonchalant smile that cost him his love once before.

“Is that what you want, petal?” he confirmed once he read through the letter twice. 

“Yes”. You stood firm in your decision, unmoved by his earlier attempts to charm you.

“Very well. I'll see through it immediately”. 

Your request to be reassigned to your previous squad was approved. 

What you requested was distance and time away from him— both necessary to heal your heart and soul.

But at what cost?

The pink flower, whose delicate petals once saved you from despair, refused to blossom once more. And thus, with time, the flower slowly withers away, leaving wilted grey petals along its path.

genuinely from the bottom of my heart i wish every single one of you peace love joy and happiness for not only 2022 but for the rest of your lives.