All she could do was wait.
No matter what, Muten Natsu could not keep this up forever.
Granted, it was a special kind of kiss.
But strictly speaking, this was already the second time.
Without her initial panic getting in the way, Rukia Kuchiki quickly learned how to breathe during the brief pauses.
It was only because Muten Natsu was there that her normally silent breaths carried a faint, curious sound.
If their previous kiss had brought the satisfaction of a fleeting taste, then this one stirred a restless longing that refused to settle.
Even though they had already gone a step further, she still wanted more.
When had she become so greedy?
The instant their lips parted, warm breath escaped Rukia Kuchiki's glossy, slightly open lips. Her violet eyes were unfocused, and a thin sheen of sweat had formed on the tip of her nose.
Her elegant, upturned bob was hopelessly disheveled. Lying on the desk, she could not summon any strength at all, and the hand braced against Muten Natsu's chest fell limply onto her body.
Muten Natsu leaned closer. "Rukia..."
"You... be quiet~" Rukia Kuchiki lightly bit her lower lip, tasting the traces he had left behind. "Don't come any closer!"
"Huh?" Muten Natsu looked genuinely confused.
"This time... this time was an accident!" Rukia Kuchiki tried to look stern, but she could not control the blush spreading across her face. "Next time we kiss, if you do that again... I'll bite it off!"
"Next time?"
"There won't be a next time!"
"But you just said..."
"No, I didn't!" Rukia Kuchiki finally recovered a little strength and sat up from the desk. "I just said there wouldn't be."
When Muten Natsu drew closer again, panic surged through her. She shoved him away with both arms. "I'm going to start working! Don't bother me!"
Muten Natsu still did not understand. "I can help you..."
"I'm going to start working," Rukia Kuchiki repeated in a low voice. "Do not bother me."
"...Okay."
...
"She kicked you out?" Renji Abarai patted Muten Natsu on the shoulder. "That's terrible. Hahahahahahaha!"
Renji Abarai had run into Muten Natsu on the road and noticed that he seemed a little down, so he had asked a couple of concerned questions.
The moment he learned that Rukia Kuchiki had just thrown Muten Natsu out of the Thirteenth Division, and that it was nothing serious, he immediately began gloating.
"That's what you get for choosing a woman over your friend." Renji Abarai thumped his chest. "Not every good friend is as forgiving as I am."
"Right, right..." Muten Natsu shot him a sideways glance. "So does this forgiving friend have any useful advice?"
"Get your eyebrows tattooed," Renji Abarai recommended enthusiastically. "It'll solve most of your problems."
Muten Natsu's gaze shifted to Renji Abarai's forehead. "That would only fix the M-shaped bald spot I don't have."
Renji Abarai ground his teeth. "Is that how you repay a good friend who's trying to help you?"
"I'm already regretting it. How did I end up without a single reliable friend?"
"I just happen to be bad at this sort of thing. All I have to do is find someone who's good at getting along with people." Renji Abarai led the way. "Come on."
Among the Shinigami Renji Abarai knew well, very few were particularly good with people.
Momo Hinamori, who had graduated in the same class as him, had yet to recover mentally. As for Izuru Kira's mental state... it had never been particularly good.
His senpai Shūhei Hisagi was a little stiff, while Ikkaku Madarame only cared about fighting.
After considering everyone he knew, the only suitable person left was Rangiku Matsumoto, Lieutenant of the 10th Division, who could interact so casually with her own Captain.
However...
"A secret mission?" Renji Abarai pressed the 10th Division member. "What kind of mission?"
Muten Natsu reminded him, "Why do you think they call it a secret mission?"
"Other than the members involved, no one knows the details," the 10th Division member explained. "Captain Hitsugaya and Lieutenant Matsumoto have both been preparing for it recently. Neither of them will have any free time for a while."
Muten Natsu silently stared at Renji Abarai.
"No problem." Renji Abarai crossed his arms. "We just have to wait until the mission is over."
So there was only one person you could think of?
Muten Natsu fell silent for a moment. "You really are reliable, my good friend."
Still, after Renji Abarai's antics, Muten Natsu did feel a little better.
Thinking about it carefully, although Rukia Kuchiki had thrown him out in the end, she had initiated both the first special kiss and the kisses that followed.
She simply refused to admit it aloud.
No, that was not right. Her lips had certainly been willing.
It was her heart that still hesitated.
Like Muten Natsu, Rukia Kuchiki did not reject the idea of their relationship becoming more intimate.
She simply had concerns she could not bring herself to voice.
Muten Natsu did not feel disappointed by her hesitation.
Because he shared that same hesitation, he understood that it came from hopes for the future and the worries that accompanied them.
The greater the hope, the greater the worry.
The more cautious someone was, the more they treasured the relationship between them.
Just as Retsu Unohana had said:
["Your own feelings are important, but so are everyone else's. This is not something that concerns you alone, so naturally, it should not be your decision alone."]
Muten Natsu needed to pay closer attention to the others' feelings and understand what they truly wanted.
After leaving Soul Society, Muten Natsu returned to the World of the Living. "I'm back."
"Welcome home." Orihime Inoue took the desserts Muten Natsu had brought back from Soul Society. "How are things in Soul Society?"
"Nothing major. I spoke with Nayura. She's preparing to dig up some old matters and deal with them, but she's met with some resistance."
"Hmm?" Orihime Inoue arranged the desserts on a plate. "Is she reopening a case?"
"The favoritism shown toward the man who killed Kaname Tōsen's friend was the main reason Kaname Tōsen defected." Muten Natsu accepted the spoon Orihime Inoue handed him, scooped up some dessert, and put it in his mouth. "To keep the same thing from happening again, it still needs to be investigated."
"Does someone not want Nayura to uncover the truth?"
"It's not that they don't want her to uncover the truth about this case. They don't want her looking too closely into everything else," Muten Natsu corrected. "The murderer was imprisoned in the Nest of Maggots, then placed under house arrest by his family after he was released. Investigating him would be easy. But there are far too many cases like this. Once she starts digging, she'll uncover a whole chain of other problems. Central 46 might have to be reorganized all over again. That's why so many people think they can't allow this precedent to be set..."
Muten Natsu paused. "But I'll deal with all of that. For now, it's time to enjoy dessert!"
He scooped up a spoonful and held it to the worried Orihime Inoue's lips. "Ah~"
Orihime Inoue closed her lips around the spoon, and the sweetness blossomed across her tongue.
Her adorable face immediately lit up with happiness.
***
..
If you'd like to support my work and unlock advanced chapters, you can follow me on p-@-treon.
[email protected]/PinkSnake (50 Chapters Ahead).
You can also follow as a free member to read a few advanced chapters.
***