『 Cessation 』|~Shinji Hirako~|

Part 5 - FINAL

"I never thought I'd see you again so soon, let alone here. You've worked hard; I'll give you that."

My voice caught in my throat as I stared down the blonde man who held a smirk on his face. I blinked, irises blurring over suddenly as tears built up in the ducts of my eyes.

"Hm? What are you crying for?"

"I'm not crying yet. I'm welling up, you jerk."

"Eh?! Jerk?! Where did that come from all of a sudden?!"

"All of a sudden?! You've had this coming for a long time buster! Do you know what I went through just to try and see you again?! You could have told me you were a Captain instead of leaving me in the dark and having me over exert myself every day just to try and get to the point I am now! Do you know what I went through?!"

"Why do that to yourself just to see me?! You're a Brainiac! Not a fighter! That's why I got confused when I first saw you! Let alone knowing you were a part of his squad! I told you it wasn't goodbye!"

"How the hell was I meant to know how long that would be?! You did say my whole eternity would be here! And I wasn't wasting an eternity waiting for you to show your sorry ass! You smacked me on the head with little to no information at all! Makes me wonder if you wanted to see me at all! I bet you never even looked for me!"

"Never looked for you? I took on lame-ass missions just to search the locations for you! I gave up good pay to look in areas I hadn't visited yet just to ask around after the mission if people had seen you! Do you know how hard you were to find?!"

"Well I'm sorry I got in the way of your money issues!"

"I don't care for that! Do you know how disheartened I got when every month passed that I couldn't find even a trace of you?! I thought... kept thinking that; you became a hollow."

I scowled at him; my anger was rising from those words yet I refused to let anger take over my mentality.

"Why would you think that?"

My voice sounded more monotone than I had intended. But his face kept its usual deadpan stare, his eyes reminding me of a dead fish.

"The day you died."

I looked away from him. It wasn't discomfort or anything; it was shame. I remembered the day I died. What was happening to me when I lost my composure. When I thought I would never see him again. Those links... shortening...

"You really think that low of me?"

"No."

I looked back to the blonde, his features and stature appearing as if I never looked away in the first place.

"You are something else, but low isn't it. When you worry, the worst is what you generally consider."

"You were worried about me?"

"Yeah."

Blunt and straight forward. I smiled lightly, breaking eye contact with him to look to the sky, watching as the clouds passed overhead in a slow manner considering there was barely any wind.

"Being good friends and your words on the day I passed I could understand you searching for me. We're close. But to hear that you were actually concerned about me to this depth is astounding... do you really see me as just a friend Shinji?"

"Hm? So you caught onto that? Guess I'm not surprised."

He shrugged nonchalantly, catching the gesture from the corner of my eye. I smiled a little wider; he really hasn't changed at all.

"Let me guess. It's because I'm your first love?"

"Yeah, ya are."

I laughed lightly before looking back to the blonde who still wore his usual expression. I heard rumors here and knew he said stuff like this to all the girls even when I was alive and decided to make a joke about it.

"What's funny?"

"You obviously."

"What did I say?"

"You know what."

He groaned and stuffed his hands into his pockets, his posture slouching with the action.

"I knew this would bite me in the ass one day."

He slowly made his way over to me, standing so close I had to crane my neck to meet his gaze.

"You're my first love."

I felt my jaw click in annoyance, watching as he smiled down at me. My eyes narrowed as my fists clenched.

"And you're my first hate."

"Aw, don't say that!"

His cool posture fell as he almost hit the dirt at my words. I didn't waver though. He's always been like this, I'm not falling for it. He rubbed the back of his golden locks with a heavy sigh.

"I guess I have to be blunt about it huh?"

Before I had a chance to recoil he grabbed my shoulders, pulling me flush up against his own body. My nose pressed against his chest for a second, being able to feel his heartbeat for that brief moment before a warm pressure overtook my jaw and raised my head. Shock had overtaken my system from his actions that I was barely able to comprehend the movement in warmth; his lips upon mine. They were soft yet chapped, the soft and rough combination breaking through my senses. My nervous system had taken the wheel, making my own lips move against his own. Arms throwing themselves around his neck. In my left I tangled his short soft locks in-between my fingers, shivering at the soft feel. My right clung around his neck for support, feeling his pule beating as fast as my own. He... really felt the same way I did...

~~~ Outside the gate ~~~

"It's been quiet for a while."

"Your point?"

"What if one of them is injured?"

"Tch, they clearly care about each other. So why would that happen?"

"She does work under you Kenpachi."

"Tryin' to say something?"

"No, just an assumption."

The ashen haired captain walked over to the gates and pushed it ajar, face contorting into a small smile before he closed it again with little to no noise.

"Let's go. We're not needed here. Everything is just fine."