Kinda In the Mood for Peaches (Shiroi/Rukia)

“Uh huh…”

Did he now? Shiro would’ve preferred any mention of his sexual appetite be kept at a minimum, but if anyone has the right to poke fun at him, it’s probably Rukia. He won’t kid himself though. Since they’ve gotten together, he’s been swamped with school and work while trying to be a good boyfriend. Saying he was a little pent up would be downplaying it. Her little tease with that picture had awoken a long sleeping beast.

Now, onto something more pertinent. She said it again. It’s different hearing those words. When it’s on paper, you can just skim over it and nod your head like you actually understood, but, in a situation like this, those few words just hit a bit different. No. Saying they hit a bit differently would be rude. They hit him like a semi truck. He should have smiled back. He should have returned those words with as much love as she had. He should have done anything besides what he did: frown.

Shiro’s hands moved up her body, fingers grazing her sides before locking under the pits of her arms. Silently, he moved her to his side, laying her down on the bed before he moved away from her, sliding himself until his feet swung off the side of the bed, his body hunched over. His elbows soon rested on his knees as his hands ran through his white hair, his head bowed. Pale eyes stared down at the ground, his toes flexing as his mind raced with thoughts and memories, most of them painful. He sighed, the force of it vibrating through his whole body before he spoke his response to her.

“I’m sorry.”

Hm. Well, that wasn't exactly the response that Rukia would have expected from her having said that. In a way, she was almost a little bit insulted. Well, she would have been, if she hadn't known what he was like. But, instead, she just watched him with no small amount of concern in her eyes. As he sat up, looking down at the ground, she sat up and leaned against him.

"For what?"

She could have said any number of things, made any number of honeyed words or things to reassure him. But if there was one thing she was confident about, it was that he didn't want her to do all that. Sometimes you just needed to be straightforward, and after what they'd been through, there wasn't any reason to hide things, was there?

There’s a lot he could have apologized for, but that wouldn’t get to the heart of the problem. He has one thing he wants to get off his chest, one thing he wants her to understand. Rukia’s given Shiro an answer around the topic before, but he wants to make sure before they take this next step. Even then, he doesn’t know if he’s ready to open his heart just yet. They’ve been together for a while now, but one year just seems a bit too soon to be committing that hard. What if… No… He shouldn’t think like that. One thing at a time. One thing at a time.

“When I was out, the day I ran into Hisana… I did something. You know, I ended up needing medical attention because of it. I didn’t have to. I could have just left well enough alone, but I was so angry. I reverted back to the days when I was just a weapon meant to kill. I slaughtered those bandits without a second thought. Hisana, I made sure she wasn’t there to watch, but she came after, saw what I had done, and it made me think. What if that was you who came and saw me? Are you sure this is what you want, Rukia? I’m kind of a mess. There’s a lot of things I’ve not gotten over yet, and I don’t know about dragging you down that road. Love is strong, and it can make people crazy at times. We’re in love with one another, so… Before I drag you down with me, I want to know… Are you okay with me, all of me?”

That’s a lot. He just couldn’t stop talking when he started, but it felt somewhat relieving to get some of his thoughts out of his head. How long has he felt this way? In his head, Shiro was always prepared for Rukia to break it off with him. He didn’t know why or for what reason, but he was just ready. For it to go on this long… What a dream, a long day dream. However, reality is often cruel, and he’s ready for it to come crashing down at any second. If he’s meant to be alone, then he’d rather it happens before his heart has a chance to settle down, held in the hands of the woman beside him.

It was difficult to listen to what Shiro told her. Not because it was too much, or because it was something upsetting, but because she could see quite plainly how upset he was just to say it all to her. Was it something Rukia felt like he ought to be afraid to say? Well...she understood why he would feel that way. It wasn't something good. But, at the same time, it wasn't something she would leave him over.

"If you're walking that road, then we'll walk it together. I'm not okay with you, Shiro. I love you, all of you. I know you aren't perfect. I know there's things that you'll have to work through, and I know that'll be hard. But I don't have any intention of making you deal with it alone."

She took his hand in hers, a gesture of support, of intimacy. Rukia knew that they hadn't been together that long, that sure, maybe this could all end one day. But whether or not it did, she wasn't going to just leave him alone when she cared so much about him in the here and now. It made her happy, it made him happy. If there was one thing Rukia had learned, it was that she couldn't just sit around anymore. She had to try, had to be proactive in her life.

“You’re something else, you know that?”

Incredulous. She’s crazy. Bwah. Shiro can’t even believe it. Nah. She has to be pulling his leg. Any second now, he’ll find himself on the other side of her door, buttnaked. Though, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he’s been through that already, and he doubts Rukia’s that cruel. She’s a lot of things: mature, honorable, dedicated, smart, cool, charming, small, peachy, radical, etc. Cruel just isn’t a word that he can relate with her. It’s funny, really. The way she’s throwing around that L word has him so agitated.

He’d like nothing more than to throw her around some more. She’s being too good to him, too understanding. He would have liked it more if she had been mad or something because he wouldn’t have to be thinking so hard about all of this. But, that’s just another thing that has him mad. This isn’t even a situation that requires thinking. The words are literally right there on the tip of his lips, and he’s just being a stubborn asshole. Tch…

“Alright. You’re annoying me now,” He grumbled as he turned his head to her and rose up, easily encompassing her as he used their conjoined fingers to pull her closer.

Dragging her over until she fell into his lap, his other hand catching her head, cradling her some. The agitation on his face is something else. It’s more like when a child doesn’t get the toy they wanted from the store or something; just one big pout. His cheeks turned a shade of red before he started running his mouth in the fashion that he’s known for.

“Think you can just say you love me over and over, and I’ll bend or break, eh? Why, you have some nerve, dammit. Well, listen here, missy. I’ve been in love with you. How about that? Yeah. I’m the winner. Bwah. Honestly… Can’t believe I let you beat me to the punch. Tch…”

"I've heard that sort of thing before."

Rukia found his whole demeanor more cute than anything else, really, and she leaned into him with a small smirk on her face as he pulled her closer. His indignation was sweet, and she appreciated how he took these things in his own sort of stride. Besides, if this wasn't important to him, he wouldn't get so emotional about it.

"You've been in love with me, huh? Then I guess you won that part of the race, didn't you?"

She liked all of this. She liked being playful, liked sharing her emotions with him. She was so used to life just being a matter of going through the motions, day after day, but this...it was something important. Shiro was something important, and Rukia really loved that.

"I guess if you keep saying it, though, I might concede defeat. I wouldn't mind hearing it again."

“I love you.”

Shiro gave in to her little wants and needs. However, he’s going to have his way with her because of it. This is a give and take environment, after all. He shared those three words with her, and now he wants her to share something with him. Though, instead of asking for it, he took it for himself, his body moving with a precarious amount of care.

“I love you,” He muttered again, moments before his lips pressed against her forehead, bringing her up closer as he leaned himself down.

“I love you.”

Again, he let those three words ring out, his voice hushed, a bare whisper for Rukia’s ears and her ears alone. His lips trailed from her forehead to her cheek, his hair pushing up against her face as he pulled her onto his lap. It’s hard to not go further, so why bother with restraint? He’s too far gone, too lovestruck for anything reasonable.

Once more, “I love you.” This time, his face is buried in her neck, his teeth and lips against her already blemished skin, hot and hungry breaths dancing over her sparkling skin as his assault proved damaging to her fair body.

Bravado coursing through his person, Shiro soon put Rukia on the bed, his eyes glazed with deep desire, his body predating over hers.

“Round two, it is…”

Maybe it was really ridiculous, to feel like she did from all this. But, then again, what was ridiculous about it? What was actually so weird about wanting him? They'd been together, they'd grown close. Closer than she'd ever been with anyone. Rukia knew that she didn't have any reason to feel so self-conscious about all this, that it was something she ought to just...really accept. She already had, she knew that.

But hearing him say those words, over and over, as his lips moved over her body, it awoke something far more in her. Looking up to Shiro with desire quite plain in her eyes, Rukia wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him in a touch closer. She didn't tend to exert her strength terribly much, but she couldn't help it right now.

"You'll lose track if you try to count all the rounds."

Could she have done better? Yeah, probably. Did she care right now? Nope.