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Kaien was led by the hand through the manor with no real explanation; "I wish to show you something," Ryuuken had said, and then whisked him away without waiting for him to respond. The only sound in the large, rather empty estate was their footsteps as they walked to a destination unknown (at least to the resurrected Shiba clansman).
Eventually, the two stopped in front of an object that had curiously been covered with a yellowed white sheet; It was soon revealed to be an old grand piano of exquisite quality, the very same Ryuuken had learned to play at the behest of his parents. It had clearly been covered up like this for some time, though the sheet music from a folder the archer had been carrying looked quite new... And clearly handwritten.
"For as long as I have played this instrument after my piano tutor passed on to me all of the knowledge she could give... I was never able to compose a piece of my own. I have tried many times over the years, each attempt fruitless. I began to resent the source of these failures, and thus I covered this instrument, not wanting to look at it any longer."
There was a pause, then a sigh as the silver-haired male slowly lowered himself onto the bench, posture as perfect as it always tended to be. His eyes had closed for a moment, only for him to open them again and focus his sapphire gaze upon his partner.
"When I look at you... Something stirs within me that I had thought was long since dead and decomposed beyond recognition, and so I began to express what I was feeling with notes... Words would do it no justice. It was not until I found you that I was able to accomplish the task of completing my own original composition... And so this, I dedicated to you."
Once again, Ryuuken did not wait for Kaien to reply. Raising his elegant hands to rest upon the ivory keys, the silver-haired male began to play, staring ahead at what he had scrawled onto blank paper to create music but looking through it, focusing on something far beyond the black ink staining the plain white of the pages.
The opening of his song was soft and sweet, even simple, though it seemed to evolve as he played. Gradually, the piece became more complex, the tone changing from light and soft to something more, something greater in a sense. Before long, Ryuuken's eyes had come to a close, the music seeming to take possession of the man.
Fingers flitting about the keys with expert skill, notes began to fill the room in scintillating crescendo, the musician sitting before the instrument moving fluidly as if it were a part of him, his body swaying as if the sounds flowed out from him as opposed to the piano. As he continued to play, Ryuuken's expression reflected what he felt; His head would occasionally tip back, his lips slightly parted, before then opening his eyes again, leaning forward to intently strike the keys as cool fire burned in the azure hues of his irises.
For several minutes, the bewitching sound of the Karakura Hospital director's song lifted the usual heavy silence from the Ishida Manor, the archer pouring his heart and soul into each pinpoint stroke of the keys. The image of him was serenely magical, as if he had suddenly become an ethereal being; Soft sunlight streamed through the gap in drapes of royal blue covering the nearby window, the dust that had settled on the sheet removed beforehand floating lazily through the beam to make it seem as if the very air around him shimmered and sparkled.
Finally, the music changed once more, the piece finishing softly as it had begun. Ryuuken sat in silence as the last note dissipated, not registering the small tears that had escaped at some point during his performance, the result of the powerful emotion swelling within his battered heart. Then, he slowly stood, approaching his lover as he gazed into his eyes. Kaien removed his partner's glasses with the utmost care to gently dry his tears.
".... This is what you have given me," the Echt Quincy whispered. "You have produced in me what others could not: Raw passion enough to conceive a score of my own design, providing a voice for feelings that render words insignificant in their intensity."
The normally sharp and severe Quincy leaned into the touch of his husband-to-be, eyes softening before closing as the swordsman's calloused fingertips brushed against his pale skin. The hushed rustling of fabric accompanied the movement of the two men as they embraced one another to then share a kiss, tender and pure.
And so there the unlikely lovers stood to bask in the easy stillness that settled between them once the kiss was broken, their voices no longer needed; Words would only serve to disrupt the gratification brought by the simple act of holding one another. Kaien and Ryuuken were among the few that understood that while speech was the most common way to express one's thoughts and feelings, there are many other ways to do so, the heart will often choose a very different medium to divulge the intensity of emotion that runs deep enough to shake its core.
Kaien's devotion had shaken Ryuuken to the very foundation of his being, and he would weave his spirit into every composition and every action.
Without the words to give it shape, one's voice imparts nothing.