Shinji woke to a knock on his door. The light was barely peeking through his window, and he could tell it was still early. He groaned. What could be so important that it couldn't wait until a more decent hour? He slipped his haori on and slid the door open a crack.
"Ayame? What're ya doing here? It's still so early."
Ayame looked around. "Can I come in?"
Shinji cursed himself for only putting on his haori but stepped to the side. Ayame entered and closed the door behind her.
"Aizen just left."
"I see."
"What am I supposed to do while he's away? I have no one here other than you."
Shinji sighed and sat back down on his futon. "There's plenty of places to explore in Seireitei."
"Alone?"
"Listen, I'm a captain. I can't shirk my responsibilities just to keep you company."
Ayame made a face.
"What?"
"You really have grown up. The Hirako I knew-"
"He's dead. I'm not the Hirako ya knew. He died a long time ago. The Hirako ya knew shirked responsibility at every opportunity and got into way too much trouble for his own good. I'm different now. I have things to protect." Shinji sighed and leaned his head against the wall, closing his eyes.
Ayame chewed on her lip. "I guess that can't be helped. You found a new life. One with lots of heroic men and beautiful, badass women."
"Say what ya wanna say!" Shinji snapped.
"I don't mean to pry, I'm sorry."
Shinji opened his eyes and looked at her. Urahara was right. His actions had impacted her.
"Ya said ya wanted to know the new me, right? Ask away. Any question ya want. I'll answer honestly."
"Did you, did you really sleep with them?" Ayame asked, sitting on the floor in front of him.
"Yes."
"Are you, um, interested in that sort of thing?"
"Why would I do it if I wasn't?"
"That's fair," Ayame said, shifting uncomfortably.
"Do you, um, do that a lot?"
"No. That was the first time."
"Are you going to do it again?"
Shinji sighed. "Yeah, probably."
"Who are they?"
"My best friends."
Ayame swallowed audibly.
"If yer only here to ask about my threesome, ya can leave." Shinji stood and walked to fill up his kettle.
"I'm sorry. I just don't know where to start."
Shinji set the kettle on the stove and turned it on. He turned to face Ayame. "Their names are Urahara Kisuke and Shihouin Yoruichi. Urahara is the captain of Squad Twelve, the Bureau of Research and Development. Yoruichi is the captain of Squad Two, and Commander-In-Chief of the Stealth Corps. She's also a princess of the Shihouin clan."
"Do captains only mingle with other captains?" Ayame asked.
"Nah, but we don't mingle outside of our squads often."
The kettle screeched and Shinji took it off the flame. He sprinkled some green tea leaves in the pot and grabbed two cups.
"What does it take to become a captain?"
"Ya have to take a test in front of three captian-level Shinigami and be proficient in bankai."
Shinji poured the tea into the cups and handed one to Ayame before returning to his seat on the futon.
"So you've mastered bankai then?" Ayame asked, her eyes lighting up.
Shinji sipped his tea. "Yeh, guess ya could say that."
"You've really accomplished everything you've dreamed of, Hirako. That's incredible."
Everything except one, he thought.
"Could you show me sometime?" Ayame asked.
"No."
"How come?"
"Don't need that boyfriend of yers findin' out all my secrets."
"Aizen hasn't seen your bankai?"
Shinji shook his head. "Nope, and I intend to keep it that way."
Ayame moved closer. "Why do you dislike him?"
"I don't trust him. He's hidin' somethin', and up to no good."
"You really think so?"
Shinji nodded, taking another sip of his tea.
"Do you have any questions for me?"
He pondered a moment. So many things he wanted to ask her. "What happened after I left?"
"Niko and his gang found someone else to pick on," Ayame smirked.
"No, I mean, what happened to ya?"
Ayame looked down at her tea. "Well, I waited. For a long time. Holding onto the hope you would come back. But then I realized I had to move on."
The knife twisted in Shinji's gut.
"I took odd jobs here and there, but then the Council appointed me house mother for a group of rowdy young boys. They reminded me of you a lot."
"Ya became a house mother?" Shinji's eyes fell. He left and accomplished his dreams while she was wasting away in that town.
"Until I met Aizen, that is. Three years ago, he was on a reconnaissance mission in Rukongai and we ran into each other. I had my hands full at the time and wasn't interested, it's not easy watching over mini-Rakos, but he was persistent and kept coming back to see me. He helped me get a job and get my own place. I loved the boys a lot, but I've always wanted my own freedom. You know that."
Shinji nodded. "Have, uh, have ya shown him what ya can do?"
"No. Haven't done that in a long time. Couldn't bring myself to... after you left."
He chewed on his lip. "Do ya love him?"
Ayame laughed softly. "We're adults. We don't have time to focus on such silly things, Hirako, but I am fond of him. He's sweet to me and has helped me greatly. "
"Why'd ya come here with him then, if ya don't love him?"
"I figured it'd be a step up for me."
This was music to Shinji's ears. Maybe he did have a shot after all. "Seireitei is much better than Rukongai, I'll give ya that." Shinji sighed.
"Can I lay with you?"
"What?!" Shinji asked, furrowing his brows.
"You know, for old time's sake?"
"I really don't think that's a good idea, Ayame."
Ayame nodded and looked down at her tea. "You're probably right."
The two sat in silence for a moment. Shinji cursed himself for not taking the opportunity to hold her in his arms, the way it should be, but he was a bigger man than to stab his own vice captain in the back like that.
"D'ya wanna become a Shinigami?" he asked, breaking the painful silence.
"Me, a Shinigami? I couldn't."
"I've seen yer powers first hand. With a little practice, ya could rival even me."
"Hirako, I don't know."
"Why don't ya train with me a little bit in my free time?" Shinji pushed.
"Maybe, if only for old time's sake."
Shinji smirked. "I'll make ya the best Shinigami yet. We'll have ya enrolled in The Academy by the time that boyfriend of yers returns."
Ayame laughed, covering her mouth with her hand. She moved to her knees and leaned forward towards Shinji. "Thank you. I think I might like that. Seireitei feels more like home than Rukongai already." She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him.
Shinji froze, but slowly wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into his lap, holding her tightly. He buried his face in her hair.
"I missed you... so much," Ayame said, her voice breaking.
Shinji squeezed her tighter. "I missed ya too."
He could feel her heart racing through her back. For a moment, things were back to the way they had always been: him and her.