#kenseixreader

The familiar call of the peppy red head draws your attention.

“Orihime-san.”

You turned and she smiled.

“It’s really good to see you again, how are you? Have you been enjoying the nice weather? It sure is pretty today isn’t it?”

She continued to go on a tangent and you just walked in step with her, listening to each word of excitement. Things have calmed down significantly since the war.

You’d stayed a few weeks as promised, keeping an eye on any potential threats and you’d even helped with a bit of reconstruction. When it became clear that there was no longer a threat, you’d left with Hiyori and a few others.

Ichigo practically raced home to see his sisters, his father not far behind, Orihime at his side.

You’d given your farewells to Kisuke and a few others.

You hadn’t really seen them for a few months. Everyone was just living life. Enjoying the peace.

“It sure is nice to see you. Have you seen Muguruma-san recently?”

The name made you think back to your meeting a few weeks ago.

“I’ll be coming here often to keep an eye out. Hiyori and Shinji can be a pain, I need to make sure they don’t tear Karakura apart.”

That’s what he said when he dropped by last. You should not have been that surprised. He had ties to this world. It’s where Kisuke fled to protect them all.

“It’s been a few weeks.”

Orihime nods.

“He is a captain, they must be really busy. I heard they’ve made a lot of progress in the Seireitei. Pretty soon it’ll be just like it was before.”

That was actually nice to hear.

“I’m glad.”

She was smiling again.

“Me too!!”

For the remainder of the walk, she went over a few things that happened in her life. By the time you made it to the intersection, she was waving as she ran down the street.

For a moment you stood at the side with a thoughtful expression. You were pretty distracted, until you felt that familiar stream of spiritual pressure. You turn to the right, and Kensei lands right before you.

“Guess I shouldn’t be surprised that you can sense me.”

“It’s not hard to track, you’re a captain. I’d be useless if I couldn’t do that much.”

Once again your expression is somewhat unreadable.

“Are you coming to report an enemy?”

You’re wearing that look again, indifference.

A part of him wonders what you must have survived to be so detached. Another part feels obligated to look out for you, even though it’s clear you can take care of yourself. He’s faced his fair share of trials, maybe that’s why he has a need to help.

The way that Kisuke helped all of them.

“There’s no enemy. I just got tired of listening to Hiyori and Shinji’s bickering. Mashiro is also a pain.”

“I see.”

Kensei’s eyes settle on you. In a strange way he prefers the look you wear when you shamelessly hit on him. The emptiness you show in battle is almost painful to watch.

Internally, he sighs, because he knows he’s going to regret this.

He looks away.

“Let’s go on a date.”

It’s a bit of a mutter.

“Come again?”

He frowns, now looking right at you.

“Let’s go on a date.” He speaks much clearer.

Silence stretches in the space and the longer it goes on, the redder his cheeks become.

He’s about to take it back, but you lift your fist and punch yourself in your stomach. Kensei gapes, and you spit out some blood, looking back up at him.

“I’m not dreaming, that’s good.”

“There’s better ways to test that out you moron!!”

You wipe the remnants of blood from the corner of your lip, flash stepping. In a blink you’re standing right in front of him and he jests back, a bead of sweat running down the side of his head at the attentive look on your face.

“I’m definitely going to regret this.”

Since he’d already made the proposal, he had no choice but to commit. He dropped by to grab his gigai. The second he stepped out with it, he was stretching his shoulders.

“It’s been a while. It feels strange. I spent so long in this thing.”

You were right next to him, just watching. 

One thing was apparent.

“You enjoy it, being a reaper?”

Kensei straightened, looking down at you. Your personality seems to change so sporadically that he’s always mentally preparing for something crazy.

“I do.”

A simple answer.

You nod, looking down the street.

“I don’t remember much of what I enjoy. Maybe if I’d been a reaper I would have enjoyed it too.”

You started walking and Kensei’s brows furrowed.

“What do you mean?”

He assumed you were a reaper, at the very least a vizard like him. You have a zanpakuto.

“I have no memories of my time before. Kisuke has tried, but he was unable to restore them. Wherever my powers came from, they were possibly due to an experiment. Maybe my soul was reborn, cleansed. Whatever the reason, there are things even I don’t know.”

Kensei gritted his teeth.

“That bastard Aizen.”

Another life that he’d most likely ruined.

“There’s no need to get angry. I’m content with the way my life is now. I have a home, and I fight with a purpose and for peace, no different than any other reaper. Isn’t that enough reason to live?”

Your perspective is strangely refreshing. For a long time he was angry. He wasn’t sure how else to be and he knew the others were somewhat the same. Aizen took away their lives, made them outcasts. Now he is back in his previous position and it seems like there is no more war, no pain. Life was as good as it was going to get he supposed.

“I guess you’re right.”

He can’t argue with the logic.

The both of you continue on, and as you move through the streets of Karakura, you both exchange words on a few topics.

Kensei spends some time complaining about Kisuke’s idiocy, which you’re fully aware of. It’s still funny to hear. Sometimes he talks about his friends, even though he always appears angry, you can feel the love in each word.

It’s possible that he isn’t even aware of it. How much life is displayed on his face when he mentions Love, or Lisa, even Shinji and of course Mashiro.

He cares for all of them, and would give his life for them. You saw as much in battle.

He’s honorable, loyal, and you feel fortunate. You understand how you come off to others. Unfortunately it isn’t something you can really control. Neither can you control your reactions to the reaper beside you.

“You’re really handsome Muguruma-san.”

He stiffens, but continues walking, his lips in a tight line.

“Your piercings are also very cool.”

That makes his eyebrow twitch.

“And your shoulders are quite broad. Your muscles are really defined. The way you wear your soul reaper robes is also very attractive.”

“W-Would you stop it with the compliments!”

The tips of his ears are red, and you hold back a smile.

You didn’t think you would get much of a reaction. It’s nice to see that he can make such cute expressions.

“My apologies. I’m done.”

You’re satisfied, and he just glares in your direction as he grumbles under his breath.

By the time the sun goes down, you explain that you need to get home and he agrees to walk you home. As the lights begin to flicker on, you enjoy the calmness of the night that begins to draw near.

The walk to your home is silent, and you relish in it. The comfortable quiet. When you get to your door, you stop in front of him, turning in his direction. His arms are folded across his chest, taking in the small house. When his gaze moves back to you, you’re ready to express your gratitude.

“I appreciate you humoring me.”

You’re not an idiot.

Your story has obviously made him a bit empathetic, so he must have done what he thought would appeal to you to keep your thoughts away from your unknown past.

“Thank you, Kensei.”

Regardless of his reasons, you’re grateful.

You bow, and when you straighten, he seems to be glaring again.

“Be my girlfriend.”

You blink, just staring at him.

“Come again?”

“I said be my girlfri-”

You punch yourself again, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

“It’s real.”

“S-STOP DOING THAT!!”

Kensei is still glaring, and you’re still trying to make sense of his words.

“R-Really! You want to be my boyfriend!”

He just unfolds his arms, closing his eyes.

“Forget about it.”

He flashsteps, and you stumble, right before you take off, following behind him eagerly.

“W-Wait! Come back!!”

“Shit..”

You coughed, spitting out some blood as you leaned against the wall of the building. You’ve never been good at just walking away. When you saw a group of men cornering a woman, of course you felt like you had to intervene. You beat the shit out of them too. But not without some damage. They were men after all. Six against one isn’t exactly a fair fight. It’s guaranteed they wouldn’t be messing with you again.

The abandoned warehouse felt like a good place to recuperate. In your state you wouldn’t be able to make it back home, much less a hospital. You just need a moment to catch your breath. Possibly reset your shoulder. The pain was starting to make your vision a bit patchy.

“How did you get in here and who the hell are you!?”

The female voice catches you by surprise. Lifting your head, you’re stunned to see a group of people casually chilling around the space. There’s a couch and a few other pieces of furniture.

“W-What the…”

There’s a taller blond male, short hair, brown eyes. He was standing on the railing on the upper floor.

“Hachi has a field around this place, so either he’s losing his touch, or you’re not what you appear to be.”

When he jumps down from his spot, landing right in front of you, you’re almost positive that you’re hallucinating.

That should not have been humanly possible.

“We’ll ask again, who are you?”

He takes one step and you feel panic set in.

“S-Stay back!!”

You backtrack to make a run for it, but your path is blocked by another man. Grey hair and piercings.

“You’re injured.”

Swallowing, you glance to the side. There’s at least six of them. You’re greatly outnumbered and hurt. From what that blond just did, you can only imagine what the rest of them are capable of.

“How do I get out of this?”

It’s taken you a moment to realize that at least three of them are sporting blades.

This is bad.

“Shinji, she's a weakling, let’s just kick her out.”

You frown at the younger girl’s statement.

“Who the hell are you calling a weakling, snaggletooth!!”

“WHO ARE YOU CALLING SNAGGLETOOTH YOU STUPID HUMAN!” She charges, but is grabbed by Shinji.

“Calm down Hiyori, like Kensei said, she’s hurt. She might just be like Orihime and the others. We should help her.”

“Let me go!!”

She’s fighting against Shinji. The man with the pink hair approached cautiously. As if not to startle you.

“I know this might seem strange, but we’d like to help you. You’re hurt.”

His words seem sincere, but you’re still terrified. One, you’re already weakened from your fight, two, it’s definitely suspicious that all these people are living in this run down place. You have no reason to trust them.

You try to open your mouth to say something, but a flash of pain hits you and your body caves. This time you cough up a mouthful of blood and they flinch. Kensei is at your side in seconds and you stumble into his chest. He lifts you off the ground.

“Hachi!”

Hachi nods and you can feel your consciousness fading.

“Damn it, you better not die.”

Somehow the words are a bit comforting.

It’s weird.

When you woke up the following day in a hospital, practically untouched you were convinced that you dreamed it up.

Those people, that strength. It felt unreal.

That’s why when you saw that gray hair and those silver piercings at a store on your way back from work, you were a bit frozen. You’d just stepped out, and you knew that he saw you. That frown was fixed on his face.

“Guess you didn’t die after all.”

You weren’t sure what words to say. Because the people at the hospital said you were fine. But you were positive that you’d broken a few ribs that day. Possibly damaged an organ. If the mouthful of blood you spat out was anything to go off.

But here you stand, unharmed.

They must have done something.

Helped you.

Saved you.

Swallowing your fear, you clenched your bag, bowing fully, right there.

“A-Arigatou!!”

You weren’t sure what happened, but above all else, you were grateful. They quite literally could have dumped you out in the street. When you felt the hand on the back of your head, you raised slowly.

“Be careful in the future.”

Despite his stoic expression, he looked genuinely concerned for your wellbeing. You couldn’t do much but give a short nod.

You really do hope you see more of him and his crazy friends.

As luck would have it, your wish came true, turns out you all pretty much shopped in the same district.

“It’s you again.”

Hachi was the second one you ran into. You couldn’t help but smile.

“Hai! O-Ohaiyo.”

He offered a smile, and the both of you had casually fallen into conversation.

“I’m happy to see you recovered. After I healed you I wasn’t sure if I had been too late.”

You pause.

“You..healed me?”

“Yes, although it may be a bit difficult to explain. “ He suddenly looked a bit bashful and you couldn’t help it, you were curious.

“Please, tell me.”

He took in your inquisitive gaze, nodding.

So he told you about his power. It seemed impossible, but when he summoned a kido to demonstrate, of course you became a believer.

After that you just kept hoping to see them again. It felt a bit strange to just walk over to that wearhouse again. That’s why when you ran into Kensei on your way back from the gym, you didn’t want to waste the opportunity.

“Please give me your number!”

He looked a bit startled at the declaration.

“I want to see you more often, so please!”

You looked like a puppy and his eyebrow twitched.

“Whatever, just stop giving me that look!”

You grinned, exchanging contact information.

Since that day, your meetings have become more frequent. You used any free opportunity to learn more. To see him. To understand his world. Because you hoped it would explain yours a bit better. Especially after what you'd witnessed a few days ago.

“You’re quiet today.”

His statement broke your focus, and you looked over as he walked you back home. He wasn’t wrong. You were just thinking. You weren’t sure if to ask.

“Kensei, have you ever seen monsters with masks before..”

It was somewhat of a whisper and he stopped, grabbing you by the shoulders in a panic.

“Shit, were you attacked by a hollow! Why didn’t you say something earlier!”

Your eyes were wide.

“A hollow..”

He sighed, and you lowered your head.

“So I’m not crazy, you’ve seen them too.”

Weirdly enough you were still scared, but relieved that you weren’t the only one. You took a step forward, burying your face into his chest. He lifted his hands, a bit stunned. You gripped at his vest.

“I’m scared Kensei..”

He knows you well enough to understand that it’s taken a lot for you to admit that. His hands lowered slowly, and he couldn’t stop himself from wrapping them around your body.

“You ain’t got anything to worry about, I’ll protect you.”

At that moment, that’s all you needed to hear.

You hold on tighter.

It’s not weird that you became somewhat attached to him. He was strong, dependable. The attack on Karakura was eye opening. You also learned that apparently that there was a lot more out there than masked monsters.

“So you were a soul reaper?” 

He could see the confusion at the term, and Kensei nodded.

“Yeah.”

Before you had the bits and pieces, but now you knew the full story. The town was safe. Everything felt like it would be okay.

“They’re gonna give you your old position back.”

“Apparently. I guess they really need the help considering all that’s happened. It’s gonna be a hassle.”

Even though he said that, you could tell that he was pleased. It’s taken a while for you to read all of Kensei’s expressions. Walking along the river, you gaze at the water.

“Guess I won’t be seeing much of you anymore then.”

The thought was a bit upsetting. When you feel the hand on your head, you look up.

“Gonna miss me huh?”

You pout.

“L-Like if!!”

You were huffing childishly and his hand moved to your cheek. Your angry little motions stopped almost immediately.

Nothing was said, just that look. 

Somehow you understood what it meant.

This wouldn’t be the last time you both saw each other.

Fortunately, that was the truth. 

You’d made constant trips to the soul society. It took some convincing on Kisuke’s part. But you’d gotten good at bribing the shop owner. All in all, you were happy. Kensei was back where he belonged and you could see him wherever you wanted.

“Oii! Why are you daydreaming?”

You smile, taking a sip of your tea.

“You still have a terrible temper Kensei.”

He clicks his tongue and you laugh.

“I still can’t believe you’re a captain. I guess they will appoint anyone to that position huh.”

An irk mark pops on his head at the casual insult.

“Be quiet.”

Hisagi watches the back and forth banter.

It’s not that strange for the both of you to bicker whenever you come to visit. It’s a bit comforting to say the least.

“I’ll head over to the fourth squad to prepare for our mission taicho.”

Kensei nods and Hisagi takes off. You go right back to drinking your tea.

“It’s weird how it all turned out, isn’t it Kensei.”

He turns in your direction.

“You mean after we found you beaten to a pulp.”

“That wasn’t exactly my fault.”

“What kind of idiot picks a fight with six people.”

“They were messing with someone.”

“You’re human, you should know your limits.”

You just roll your eyes.

“You’re always lecturing me like a nagging older brother.”

You expect another jab from him, but he’s gone silent.

“Hmm, usually you fight back, did I win this time?” 

You smirk, but his expression has changed. He stands from his spot at the desk, moving over to you. You’re still seated, so you look up, clearly puzzled. He’s just towering over you now.

“Is that how you see me?”

Those words aren’t what you expect. You place the cup down.

“Eh? What are you talking about?”

“I’m not your brother.”

Your brows furrow.

“Of course not, why are you saying strange things?”

He’s still somewhat glaring, and now you’re confused.

“Kense-”

“I’m attracted to you.”

For a full minute nothing is said. You try to play over all those words in your head.

“Attracted….attracted…he’s attracted..to me..”

The realization of the statement finally processes and your face becomes every possible shade of red. You shoot out of your seat, backing away.

“W-What the hell!! W-Where did that come from!!!”

His hard stare is fixed on you. When he approached, you panic. His hands press to the wall at the sides of you and you gulp.

“You shouldn’t take me so lightly. I’m a man after all.”

“S-Stop saying weird things!!”

You bolt out the door as fast as you can, and Kensei just stands there, watching the trail of dust.

He smirks.

“Guess she’s not as airheaded as I thought.”