Aizen caught Ran was standing in front of the tree. As she told him, the tree was very pretty. Prettier than the trees he saw before he went to this hidden spot. The tree was very tall and the flowers were many. The wind was very strong as it flew the petals every where. He then move forward to her, standing few feet from her.
"Ran..." She slowly looked to him, looking rather confused.
"H-How did you get here?"
"...You told me once about this place, remember? Well, it's because I followed your reiatsu. It is very hard because your reiatsu sometimes gone but then appeared again. Are you capable to do that?"
"Eh? N-No, I don't"
"I see..." Both of them became silent. Before he could opened his mouth...
"My mom..." She suddenly said. "My mom... I really admire her. She's a very strong woman. Even when she found out her condition become worse, she never complained. Instead, she appeared happy and cheerful as always so me and my dad won't have to worry about her. But, seeing her like that made me even more worried" She said as she tried to hold back her tears. "You know... Even though you said she's not my real mother, but I will always considered her as my mother. She's the one who take care of me. The one who always supported me, protected me even when my dad--" She stopped her sentence and looked aside.
"Why are you pausing? Is there something you don't want me to know about? I assume there is something wrong regarding your father, isn't it?" He asked coldly. "Did that man do something to you?"
"N--No. It was...nothing" She lied. Aizen knew she was lying but he thought he let it slide just for now. He raised up his hand and caressed her hair. "Um, Aizen...san?" She looked up at him.
"You don't need to worry. Everything is going to be alright" He assured her. To Ran, this was the first time she could hear his voice sounded so...kind and warm. Usually his tone was more like a commanding but right now...he was so kind and...Ran could looked at his eyes as his gaze became warm and kindness could be seen through his gaze.
Both of them stayed like that for quiet some time. They looked at each other. Observing each other. He pulled his hand from her hair and went down to her cheek. Caressing her cheek with his thumb. Her face became red as his eyes continue to looked at her. He could see the girl was trying to hold back her tears for flowing down but he could see her eyes became watery. He could sense himself became weird, he could hear Ran was calling him but... Looks he didn't intended to respond. He slowly lowering down his face to her, Ran, on the other side already tried to push him away. Before his lips captured her...
Aizen-taicho
His eyes became wide open as he recalled something, or rather...someone. He withdraw from her and took step back from Ran.
"Ai...zen-san? Ano..."
"I'm sorry..." He apologized while looked away from her.
"No... Um, should we head back? It's almost night" She asked but Aizen only answer by nodding. Ran leaded the way while Aizen followed her. He was stuck in his mind, thinking about what he was doing. For him, he was doing a mistake. He didn't take her with him to become his lover or something. He was fulfilling a promise he made to a precious friend. Something bad will happened if Aizen didn't take Ran with him.
He tried assuring himself that it was a mistake that he wanted to...kiss her. It was because Ran has an almost perfect appearances just like her. But... Even himself could not be convinced with that thinking. For the first time ever, a man like Aizen was confuse of his own feeling.
***
Ran's House
"Oh, you're back already? Welcome home. Dinner's ready" Ren greeted them.
"We're home, Ren-kun" She sniffed "This smell... Steak?"
"Yep! I made your favorite, a tenderloin steak. Oh, I made it medium-well as you always request" Ren said happily.
"Uwa! Arigatou, Ren-kun! Come on! Let's eat, Aizen-san" She said and she ran towards the table.
"Oh, I don't know your preference so I leave it medium-well too. Try to learn something new while you're in human world. It's fun if you're learning from them. Come on!" Ren headed to the table, followed by Aizen.
Ran already seated while Ren take the seat beside her and Aizen in her opposite. He observed the food and both Ren and Ran could tell he was confused of what's in front of him.
"Um, Aizen-san?" She called him and Aizen glanced to her "It was called steak. Beef steak to be precise"
"I see. And what's with that medium-well thing?"
"It's the meat temperature. You could get rare, medium rare, medium, medium well and well done. Yours and mine are medium well. It should have slightly pink in the middle so it's not cooked through" Ran explained. It made her remembered before she was explaining about schools to Aizen and now she was explaining about steak. She found it amusing.
"Mine is medium rare. It's not raw but the middle still red. It was very common to be ordered for few people.
"I see. Interesting. Learning human's culture is rather fun" He then cut the steak open and looked at the meat. As Ran explained, it has slightly pink in the middle. He cut a little and took a bite from it. "It's good"
"Right? Ren-kun is very good at cooking" Ran praised him. The three of them continue eat their dinner. The feelings is kinda weird for Ran, obviously because Aizen was in her house. The man who kidnapped her. The man who she should considered evil but instead...she felt happy having someone else in her house. "Um, Ren-kun?"
"Hm?"
"Is dad still working? Or..."
"I...guess so..." He hesitated but he could look Ran knew he was hiding something. "He...hasn't being around for three days. I don't know where he went"
"I...see..." Ran's face became sad. Aizen wanted to ask her about her father, but not one words came out from his mouth. It was like he knew Ran will not told him anything. It was like he felt he will asked a taboo question. She quickly excused herself and bring her plates to the kitchen. AIzen looked at her parting figure and back at Ren.
"...You don't have to know now about her father. It's useless" Ren said as he drank his drink. Aizen could felt there was something...bad about her father.
***
Midnight
Unfortunately for Aizen, he could not slept at night. There was something bothering his mind. Before they go to sleep, it was decided Aizen will slept at Ren's room together with Ren. Said it will be rude if a guest sleeping in the couch. He then slowly open the door without waking Ren up and exit the room. He went to the kitchen and grab a glass and poured with water. He drank it with a single gulp and put the glass in the sink. He then sit at the couch for awhile as he realized a movement in Ran's room upstairs.
He raised up and went to her room. Before he could knock, he put his ear to the door and heard voices inside. A man's voice and he could hear...Ran's crying voice. He immediately open the door and startling the people inside. The man has golden hair with bloody red eyes, and it looks like he was trying to calmed Ran down as he found Ran was really crying.
"Are? Aizen-san? What's wrong?" She asked while cleaned her face from the tears while the gold man glaring at him.
"I heard voices inside and your crying voice so I thought there is something bad happened"
"Oh, no there's nothing happened" She said and she realized both the gold man and Aizen were glaring at each other. "Oh yeah, Aizen-san? You haven't met him, right? He is Cerbeius. He is the manifestation of my power. Don't mind with his attitude, he's always like that"
"I see. Interesting. Manifestation of your power, huh. I assumed he already appeared since you have that power, yes?"
"Y-Yeah. Um, Cerbeius? Why don't you say something?"
"....nothing. I don't have anything to say to a...kidnapper" He mocked him. "Well, I better gone now. Why don't you ask him to bring you there? See ya around...Aizen" He parted with them and gone in instant.
"Hehe~ I'm sorry about that. He was...rather rude to people. You're not the first. He already like that with Ichigo and Urahara-san too"
"I don't mind. This is not the first time I met a rude person. Anyway, why does it mean by taking you there?"
"Oh, that? Well... I couldn't sleep so I was thinking to go to that park"
"Park? Oh, the one we saw it early" Ran nodded "Well, why do you want to go there? It's already midnight"
"Well, sometimes if I can't sleep at night or there was something happened in the house, I usually go there to...calm myself"
"By yourself?" She didn't answer "You surely have guts for wondering around the town by yourself. Well, since I'm here-shall I brought you there?"
"Eh? But...aren't you tired? Come to think about it, why are you still awake anyway?"
"Same as you. I couldn't sleep either. Rather than you go by yourself, it will be better if I go with you as well. Shall we?"
"...okay. Thank you, Aizen-san" They exit her room and headed to the park.
***
Hidden Park
When they got there, as usual the tree looked very pretty. The petals were scattered everywhere. Ran took the seat on the ground and leaned on the tree.
"Why don't you sit down, Aizen-san?" He do as she told and took the seat beside her. "You know... I don't know about you but I felt at peace just by looking at the flowers. It calmed me down, it made me sleepy too"
"Well, if you want to sleep you have me beside you so you don't have to worried if there is someone will do anything weird to you"
"Um, until now I didn't experienced that. Besides, if I didn't returned to the house until morning, either Ren-kun or Ichigo will came here"
"That boy know this place?" Aizen asked, sounded rather annoyed.
"Yep. I told him even though he knew the distance from his house to this place is rather far but he still came here"
"I suppose he considered you very important"
"Well...we're best friend after all" Both of them became silent. Aizen looked at the tree. Again, he got reminded about the past. About the woman in pink, just like Ran. He remembered that woman always spends her time looking at the tree. Its made him wondering, was it because Ran and that woman were connected or was it because Ran only likes the tree? But, as for now it's not the time for him to thought that. There was something he wanted to ask Ran.
"Ran" She looked at him. "Was there something between you and your father?" His question shocked her and she let out a small laugh.
"I knew you will ask that. Well... since my mother's illness become worse four years ago, my relationship with my father become worse too. He began working too much and not paying any attention to me. Said he needed money for my mother so he asked to not bother him. That's why when Ren-kun asked me to stay at Kurosaki's residence for awhile I didn't refuse. I was hoping my father will be more relaxed, but..." She paused for a moment.
"But?"
"Just now before I went to sleep, Ren-kun told me he already quit his work said it's because he pick a fight with his superior and playing around somewhere. When Ren-kun told him that my mother won't have much time any longer, he become a lot worse. He rarely at house and only come home maybe twice a week" Aizen could tell even though Ran was smiling when she told him the story, deep down she was hurt. Now he know the reason why Ren was struggled to brought her to him. He then patted her head, confusing her.
"If you want to cry just cry. Besides, if you lose your mother you still have Ren around. You still have me too"
"Huh? What do you mean by that?"
"You don't have to be bothered by a father who are not even love his daughter" She became silent and couldn't stop staring at him and then she let out a small laugh, confusing him.
"I can't imagine that Aizen-san could comfort me like this. I must look horrible. Don't worry, Aizen-san. It was pretty much normal for me to crying alone. I can't even show it to Ren-kun so he will not worried"
"Now, you don't have to worry anymore. You could show your emotion to me. And you said, whenever you felt sad you will just come to this place, correct? I shall came here too, so you won't be alone"
"Um, Aizen-san?" She pulled back from him "Now you freak me out. Did you eat something weird or having a weird dream? I can't believe you just said that"
"Well...considered it one of the reason why I took you that time. I can't tell you now the real reason. So..." He moved to her and pulled her to his embrace, made her face became red as a tomato "...if you come to this place again, you do not need to worry as I will come here too" He said but there was no reaction from Ran.
"You know...I must look terrible for you to said that, right?" Aizen didn't say anything as he only caressed her hair. "You...could promise that?" He could tell Ran was began to cry as her voice became trembling. He didn't answer but his hold became more tighter, hoping Ran will understand the meaning of his tight hold.
She was hesitated but then slowly she raised up her hand and returned his hold, shocking Aizen. He could also sense his clothes became rather wet and now he could heard the voice...of her crying. He never know that Ran was having a hard time before he took her. She never showed her sadness in front of him but sometimes, it made him wondering. Her smiling always showing a hint of sorrow in her eyes. Worrying about her sick mother and her uncaring father.
He too still confused of his feelings about wanting to protect her. He was doing that to fulfilled his promise to a certain someone. In the middle of his thought, he could sense another reiatsu. He knew that reiatsu, so he just let it slide but he was sure that person will mocking him for seeing him in this situation.
***
Ran's House
"Geez~ Watching them like that still made me can't believe that. Kiyo, looks like one of your ridiculous wish will come true in the future" Ren said to himself. It appears as soon he realized Aizen and Ran went out from the house, he was following them to the hidden park but he found how Aizen was...very caring to Ran. He then went back to his room as he heard someone opened the door. He thought Ran and Aizen already back until he heard the person slapped the door very loud. He exit his room and found a man in untidy brown shirts was slump in the floor.
"T--Tomoaki-san?!?"
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Finally finished with chapter 14. I'm sorry it took so long to update. I have many things to do.
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See you in the next chapter! :D