Perfect Imperfection (Mayuri Kurotsuchi)

Kisuke's Once Oblivious Feelings

It didn't take long to get back to the household or to get back to her room. The moment I laid her on her bed she reached up and hung on to my neck." Nii-chan, you've been leaving me lately. You are going to leave me again?" She opened her eyes and put on her most pitiful look.

My eyes lit up and my face turned red." I-I would like to stay right beside my Imouto but being the captain of a squad is much more difficult and time consuming than being than being a third seat."

"But Nii-chan, I miss you." She frowned and looked at the arm of my haori." Do you love me anymore, Nii-chan?"

My eyes got big. "W-w...wah... OF COURSE I LOVE MY IMOUTO! I LOVE MY IMOUTO MORE THAN ANYONE!" I cried out before tackling her to bed but I quickly retreated to the other side of the room. That was an awkward position." My Imouto means the world to me."

"Ehhh, Nii-chan!" She frowned." My Nii-chan has become distinct from me..." She bit her bottom lip." Is it because my father is supposed to get out in a 100 years?"

"W-who told you?" My face went pale.

"Mayuri Kurotsuchi-san." She crawled off of the bed and looked at me." He said that and maybe that is why Nii-chan doesn't love me anymore?" Red came to her cheeks, the phoenix in her, making it look like she was blushing.

I looked shock." My... I love my Imouto. I love my Imouto even more than anyone.  Please don't believe that I would love you less even if your father is to get out." I'd hate to admit it but I love my Imouto more than a Nii-chan should but... I would protect her always, no matter what. It couldn't be helped that I'd play this role for her.

"Then Nii-chan, hug me." She opened her arms to me and waited for me to hug her." Please?"

I moved over to her and quickly hugged her." I love my Imouto. Your father will be getting out in 100 years but on parole. I still will care for Imouto. Imouto is everything." I whispered quietly.

"Promise Nii-chan?" She looked up at me with the most adorable eyes.

"Wahhhhhh, yes Imouto." I held her tightly to my chest by her head. She was too cute, I couldn't take it. If I looked at her too long I'd do something that wasn't brotherly.

"Ahhhh, Nii-chan you're suffocating me!" She exclaimed.

"Just a little longer, Imouto." I had to fight down non-brotherly things going through my head.

She stopped moving for a bit and I finally let her go. She looked up at me and the red in her cheeks were gone. She frowned at me." Nii-chan has to go back to work, right?"

"Yes, I'm sorry but I'll be here when you wake up though. I promise." I smiled down at her before picking her up and placing her back on her bed.

She frowned." Otay, Nii-chan."

My cheeks warmed up." Waahhh soooo cutteee Imouto."

She chuckled and smiled at me." No, Nii-chan is cute!"

I smiled but I quickly became serious." Dalia, please do not use your Zanpakto again. If you can, leave it here in your room. There was a reason I didn't want you to learn it and I'm worried. You don't want your Nii-chan to worry, do you?"

She nodded slowly." No! I never want Nii-chan to worry!"

I patted her head before putting her under the covers and tucking her up to her chin." Good, because we don't know what your father's projects could have done or anything like that."

"I know Nii-chan." She closed her eyes and sighed happily." I love you Nii-chan."

"I love you too Imouto." I watched her until she fell asleep with a peaceful look on her face. I sighed quietly and found myself kissing the lips of her sleeping form. Why was I fooling myself believing I could stay her Nii-chan... she was so trusting... if only I had realized back then the need to see her smile that it was because I loved her instead of just  needing to see her." I love you too much Imouto."

I turned quickly and left her room, left the house, and headed straight back to the Institute with my head down. I was disgusted with myself – I probably had just taken Dalia's first kiss and it was out of selfishness. I was a horrible brother... and even worse of a man.

I lifted my head when I entered the Research Lab and saw many of my subordinates typing away at the computers or watching Mayuri as he attempted the lab process for the Gigai and Gikongan. When standing amongst them, Mayuri looked odd but I'd known him for a while so his odd look didn't register to me like it should have.

"YOU! WHATEVER YOUR NAME IS! YOU'RE AN IDIOT! LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO MY PRECIOUS GIKONGAN!" Mayuri yelled at Akon who looked like he could have peed his pants – Akon was probably the youngest looking one but he was a good researcher.

"I-I... I'm sorry sir. I-I didn't mean to, m-my finger slipped!" Akon tried to explain quickly.

"YOUR FINGER SLIPPED?! IT SLIPPED AND DESTROYED ONE OF MY PROTOTYPES!" He yelled in Akon's face.

"Now, now Kurotsuchi-san." I smiled as I walked in between him and Akon." It'll be alright. I'm sure he really didn't mean to. After all you still have another Gikongan."

He glared at me but mumbled turning away and heading over to the chair that had been vacated by Akon. I turned to Akon and he gave a sigh of relief." T-thank you, Urahara-san."

"Naaahhh, don't worry about it." I smiled and patted his head." Just be careful before you do that again, alright? I can't always save you."

"Y-yes!" He nodded before rushing to a different computer to start up again.

I looked around before heading over to Mayuri as he typed away at the computer madly. He gave me a glance but continued to work on the computer." Something you need Captain?"

"Nooo, but I was very curious about something." I smiled a bit.

"And that is?"

"How come you remembered my sister's name so easily and you only met her today but you can't remember Akon's name and he's been here for two weeks." Mayuri visibly winced.

"It's only proper I remember the girl who broke my Gikongan in the first place." He replied quietly.

"Ahhh, I don't think that's it though. I think maybe you like her. I mean you did stare at her when you both first met."

"I was simply observing her. She reminded me of Kai and for good reason with him being her father. Besides, love... love is..." He stopped typing and looked at me." Love is the smell of the success of a lab process. Or killing something during a project and getting the most data from it. Love is... scientific items that are always at the tip of my fingers." A grin spread across his face as he turned back to the computer and started typing ferociously.

"You know... love is a science too." I smirked as I watched him twitch before continuing with his typing.

"It is an ignorant study and I don't wish to even try to see what the hustle and bustle of love is about. That is a science that is redundant." He grumbled.

"Ahhh but that is what I said so long ago. Even now the science of love pulls me in the most impossible of ways." I thought of Dalia and could only shiver and suppress the blush that wanted to grace my cheeks.

"That's you. You look, normal." He glanced at me." I look abnormal. No girls would like me and that's how I like it."

"Ahh but my Imouto likes weird. She has very beautiful, but abnormal looks that seem to attract others." I insisted.

"Captain, if you aren't here to help. Leave me the hell alone." Mayuri growled and continued on with his typing.

"Alright, alright, I'll help." I chuckled as I made me way over to the Master Computer to look at the progress but I kept a close eye on the odd look on Mayuri's face. I had gotten to him with that I said – he had a soft pink pushing through his paint whether he realized it or not. Ahhh, to be oblivious to one's own feelings... must be great.