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Lithe, nimble fingers tugged you by the belt loops of your pants as you found yourself falling graciously backwards against the smirking, piano teethed visored. His long blond locks tickled at your exposed shoulders as he hummed in contentment. “Ya know, I could get used ta this,” he murmured as those nimble fingers slipped across your hips, his arms engulfing you loosely. His chin rested against your shoulder as he simply reveled in the moment.
You could feel your heart pounding in your chest, though in the same moment, a contented sigh slipped across your lips. “I couldn't agree more,” you spoke, though you weren't sure half of it had been a lie or not. Shinji's arms were warm and inviting, enticing in the bathing of the sunrise. Even so, there had been so many people you cared about who thought the two of you had been monsters. Sometimes, you still thought of those days, though nearly five years had passed.
You knew you'd miss them, though you couldn't turn back the hands of time. The two of you had been on the outskirts of Karakura Town, a small human town that seemed to lack the bustle of the seiretei. In your human clothes, geigai specific to avoid detection, this hadn't been a vacation from your seat - it had been hiding . By now you should have been simply living your life, and yet, 5 years still felt like back then. 5 years was hardly a blip in your life span.
You could be grateful that the man you loved hadn't been a part of those who ostracized you for something you hadn't asked for.
“Your food's going to get cold if you two stay out here much longer,” you could hear Tessai call out from your new home. It had been a reminder that the two of you hadn't been quite alone in the world of the living.
Shinji pressed a kiss to the nape of your neck. “What'da'ya'say, doll, wanna head back in?” He murmured in your ear, though the tranquil spot that the two of you stood was something of serenity to you.
A quiet serenity. You could feel the pang in your stomach that you couldn't decide whether it had been hunger or the guilt of those you'd left behind. His stomach grumbled, though, and you were willing to attribute at least part of your feeling to that.
“Yeah,” you agreed, though the way his arms unwrapped from you had left you with a subtle chill. “Let's go. I'm sure Tessai'll toss us over his shoulder in due time.”
Shinji chuckled at your words, as close to the truth as they had been. Tessai was kind, patient, but he took care of people in a way you had never seen. His ways were odd, but warming all the same. In lieu of his arms around you, he entwined his fingers in yours as the two of you walked inside.
The table before the two of you was rather expansive, though each seat had been full minus three spots. Behind you stood Tessai, while at the table you saw Hiyori, Hachi, Kensei, Love, Rose, Mashiro, and Urahara. They chattered amongst themselves and the sight itself was much different than that of the seireitei. No matter the amount of respect each of the captains had earned - no matter how much status everyone had - to see them all in the same room had been a rare to an impossible sight.
This was how it would be for now on, though, and the way a slender hand on the small of your back led you to your spot had welcomed the change.
“Took you two long enough,” Hiyori chided.
“Yeah, yeah, who asked ya?” Shinji dismissed as he sat down beside you.
Whoever put the two of them on opposite ends of the table had made a grave mistake, though the childish strife between the two of them had been a path of destruction that only affected that line. Hachi's barrier made sure of that. With Mashiro on the other side of you, the two of you chatted while you ate your meal, with the occasional cynical quip from Kensei.
By the end of dinner, you pressed a kiss to your boyfriend's cheek as you chuckled. “ I didn't decide to pick a fight,” you reminded him as you pressed the rag into his hand. “Once you're all done, I'll be back in our room, handsome.”
“Ya missed,” he hummed, his free hand cupping underneath your chin as he stole your lips. “There…y'know, after all this time, ya wouldn't miss as much…” His voice was teasing, though the soft feeling of his lips lingered far after the chaste kiss. His brown eyes held a little somethin else and just maybe for a moment, you realized his words held back his true wayward longings as well.
“Mhmm, but you've got work to do,” you reminded him, crossing your arms against your chest, though your tone held some play. “So hurry up, will you? I don't want to have to wait up for you too long.”
“Don't miss me too much, Doll,” he spoke with a wink, his piano teeth showing as he smirked.
“Will you two baldys get a room?” Hiyori complained as she made a fake barfing noise, already working on cleaning up the floor the two had made a mess of.
“I'm tryin ’,” Shinji whined as you walked away. “If it weren't for ya, I'd already be in it.” The name sank in by the point that you had already walked into the next room, though his voice shook the small residings. “Wait, who’re ya callin’ baldy?!”
You rolled your eyes at their antics as you passed through the main room of the house, Rose and Love arguing about a manga Love had spoiled on Rose. Further in, Tessai had been cleaning with a feather duster, while Kensei had been getting ready to head down to the training grounds. Everyone had fit so well into their roles already, and yet, you could not help feeling a pit of melancholy.
Even still, as you entered your room, you could not help the smile that tugged at the edge of your lips. Maybe he did miss it. Your quarters were set up the same as your shared room at the seiretei, despite a few items they hadn’t had in the world of the living. Most of what Shinji and you owned had reflected the centuries of culture the human world possessed, especially leaning upon the era of jazz.
Your little alcove had been perfect . Five years ago, the two of you had made this home. All of you had made this home and you lingered in the doorway as you mentally noted it, a warmth in your heart amidst the melancholy you mused. Your favorite things and his lined your small room and it had been cozy to say the least, dimly lit with the blackout curtains.
With one, two, three steps in, you turned on the record player to the last that had been set up. Smooth jazz filled the room as you moved to sit upon your bed, Shinji's scent a mix with your own wafting your senses. You grabbed your favorite book from your shelf, sitting down comfortably to peruse as your heart warmed.
Just maybe you could get used to the world of the living…
It had taken about twenty five pages of your book for Shinji to make an appearance. He limbered over you, collapsing on the bed dramatically before he wrapped his lithe arms around your waist. His chin rested on your shoulder as you continued to read, not looking up. His breath radiated against the shell of your ear as he hummed.
“Did ya miss me, Doll?”
You rolled your eyes, though you reached for your bookmark to save your page before setting the book on the stand. Despite how cheesy he could be, your lips curled at the edges. “Always, Handsome,” you replied, twirling around in his arms as you wrapped your arms around his neck.
As you pressed a chaste kiss against his lips, he pulled you tighter against him. He was quick to deepen the kiss, his smirk something you could feel against your lips, followed by the metal of his tongue ring. With your granted permission, he explored your mouth to the subtle swing of the music.
With his forehead rested against your own, as he caught his breath, he caught your half-lidded gaze with brown eyes that had simply been drunk on you alone. His flowing hair curtained over your shoulder as his lips held that genuine smile you'd see every once in a while.
Your first - your only - and you could not help how much you adored the man. No matter how much you would miss those friends you had back in the seireitei, that gaze reminded you that home was right where you belonged. Home was in the world of the living, and most of all, in his arms.
No matter how much once the two of you delved back into one another you knew your housemates would complain in the morning.