Ghosted? That's Not Quite Right. [Social | Closed]

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Shizuka stared at her bowl and listened to Luke speak as he talked about how he never hated her job. She spent so much time convincing herself that he did and that no one would understand her. She felt unlovable and could never figure out why. Had she done that to herself after so much time? What stemmed this attitude in the first place? She used to be proud of her work. She thought she was doing the right thing. That entire belief never changed. Thirteen years she'd been doing this. Thirteen years she devalued human life for money.

Yet he claimed he didn't hate it. She felt like she'd had this conversation with him before, but something about it was so blurry in her mind. It was as if the memories of their talks that last night so many years ago were completely overshadowed by something else that happened. It was as if something was blocking them from resurfacing for some reason. She had thoughts about what it could be, and perhaps it was simply that her brain was desperately trying to make her forget about something painful, but she had a more likely theory. The main thing she remembered from that night was the physical activity.

Blocking that portion out of her mind for the time being, Shizuka looked at Luke with understanding, listening to him remind her about the story he'd told from his past. It came back to her quickly as she recalled what he'd talked about so long ago. He faced off against some ginger Quincy bitch and Shizuka had attempted to get him to tell her who this woman was. She had plans to kill her somehow. How could she have forgotten? She'd seduced Luke for information. It was out of the kindness of her heart, but that's why she did it.

But before she could feel sorry for herself, he said those words. That he'd join her. That he was willing to be a part of Xcution. He told her he'd do it... so why didn't she feel excited? This had been one of her goals even since before he'd been frozen, and now it was here but she wasn't feeling the way she thought she would. No, she was distracted by something. A comment he made. It was in passing, but it made her feel spiteful. It made her clench her hands into fists on either side of her bowl, but she calmed herself. She'd revisit this later.

Soon after, without realizing it, she'd placed her hand on his thigh without realizing. With a panic, she yanked her hand back and freaked out. Luke, ever the gentleman. didn't say anything to discourage her. Instead, he was sweet and even said she could never bother him. The warmth of his large hand against her back was foreign but welcome as she remembered how his hands felt against her skin, wishing there wasn't a shirt blocking the touch. The shop owner glanced at her and she glanced off to the side with slight embarrassment. He wasn't making this easy.

She considered moving seats entirely and even had gotten halfway up off her bar stool when she sighed and sat back down. It wasn't worth moving. He waved it off and whatever had gone down just ended up passing. That was fine. She needed to learn some self-control or else she was going to be in trouble, but she always had issues like this around him. She didn't understand her constant weakness to Bounts. This was getting ridiculous. It was like Luke set the precedent and then Shizuka almost didn't even consider anyone else.

Almost.

”I have to ask it because, well, I just woke up and the last time we saw each other is still very fresh in my mind. Especially what we did after our argument. Are you seeing anyone new?”

She choked.

"Excuse me??!?!?!"

Well, had she? No, not exactly. Shizuka took a couple of sips of water while she thought about how to answer his question. She hadn't actually been with anyone in three years. Not like that, anyway. A couple of double dates with her girl friends, yeah, maybe. But it was never anything serious. The guys would be weird or not quite her type or way too boastful or something else. She was picky, it seemed. But they were never Luke. She never figured out how to completely get over him. There was a time when she thought something could develop further, and even then it wasn't like she was totally done seeing him, but...

"No, to answer your question. I guess I'm not actually."

Why did she feel disappointed? Was it awkward to admit to him that she couldn't bring herself to date anyone after that night? That she could never forget how he sounded to her, or how he felt, or what his body looked like... none of it. She couldn't forget. Everything they'd talked about beforehand was totally wiped from her brain but what they did to each other afterwards still burned within her memory. She shifted in her seat and felt her heartbeat quicken. Taking a bite of her food wasn't enough to distract her. She was thinking about it now.

This wasn't fair. God, this wasn't fair. Something unseen was happening to her and she didn't want him to find out. She was supposed to be angry! She was angry! But her resolve was softening faster than she'd anticipated when her entire plan was to slap him and leave. But the food wasn't enough to keep her thoughts off of what she wanted anyway. Trying to think about anything else wasn't working. And what Luke had said moments before about 'doing something about her' made its way back to the front of her mind.

With a devilish smirk that she almost couldn't control, Shizuka rested her head on the palm of her right hand and looked at Luke dead in the eye. "You really think you can handle me, Clyburn?"

[Luke Clyburn]

Maybe it was an odd question to ask. Perhaps even a little intrusive. But from where he was sitting, from his perspective, it was one that he needed to ask. When Luke had gone off after that night to battle Springflut to reassert dominance over the Doll and mend that gaping void left in his heart, he had last seen Shizuka when they were still together. A couple. But that had been three years ago. Luke’s inability to outright crush Springflut, to destroy him in a single attack, wound up costing the Bount three years to regenerate the injuries sustained in the fight. He was a man out of time. Lost in the past. So here he sat next to the woman he could claim he loved. Of course, he had to ask about their relationship. Assuming anything about it and taking action because of that assumption would only lead to both of them getting hurt. Luke needed to know for both of their sakes if, well, things were over.

The idea of it didn’t make him happy. The idea of them being separated now formed a kicking pit in his stomach. Luke wanted nothing more than to wrap his hands around her waist, hoist her up on the counter of the bar, and lock his lips with her. To show her entirely, emotionally and physically, how strongly he felt about her and how relieved he was to not just see her again but also to be alive. He hadn’t celebrated his victory with her as he had planned to. Fine drinks, expensive dinners, massaging every inch of her body with warm oil, and making love to her until neither of them had the energy to move anymore or the sun came up. Kissing every inch of her body and then finally eating her up entirely. Luke had planned to completely dominate the CEO. Then they could have their long lives together without any more drama. At least, that had been the plan. Then Luke went and became a Luke-sicle.

Her reaction to his question caught him by surprise. He thought it was entirely reasonable to ask her this after all. He wanted to know if things were finished between them. Shouldn’t they be? Without overstating it, they hadn’t seen one another for three years. Shizuka absolutely should have moved on from him by now and even hooked up with someone else-"No, to answer your question. I guess I'm not actually."-oh, well, that answered that question. It was odd that he didn’t feel relieved. There was no little gag shot of a chibi Luke going “Yess!” in his mind like this was some sort of anime. Instead Luke just accepted that answer. He didn’t think too deeply about it. He wouldn’t believe that Shizuka had been waiting for him to come back. He wouldn’t believe that she couldn’t find anyone. Luke chose to believe she just simply didn’t. Her job, her career as an assassin, and the damage his disappearance did to her might have made it difficult for her to extend her heart to another person.

” I see. I’m sorry if that was an awkward question. It’s just that, well, when we last saw each other we were still a couple. We were having a problem, yeah, because I was having my problems but we had made up. Then I marched off and never came back. But you got left behind. Didn’t know what happened to me. So I don’t blame you, nor could I be upset if you found someone else. I guess I’m just wanting to confirm if we’re, y’know, through. Even if we are though, Shizuka, I want you to know we’re still friends. I still care about you, a lot, and trust you the most out of anyone.”

Luke finished what he had to say in response to her and chose to turn his attention to the bowl of noodles in front of him. Breaking a pair of chopsticks he began to dig in. Slurping up egg noodles, chewing on the meat, and using a spoon to drink up the broth. It was good. Funny to think that this was his first real meal in three years. He ate it up. But as he ate he noticed something. That something though wasn’t Shizuka. As he ate and filled his stomach up, he noticed that the hunger he was feeling wasn’t being satiated. To be more accurate his physical hunger was being satisfied. But there was a different hunger he was feeling. It had been masked by everything going on as well as his physical hunger. Luke stared down at his bowl for a moment as he realized nearly instantly what he was feeling. Is it that time? Luke wondered to himself. He thought being frozen would have delayed it. After all, Shizuka could still feel her reiatsu inside of him.

Luke’s vision glassed over as he thought about this, just for Shizuka to pull him from what he was thinking about. The Bount blinked. Those amber orbs of his looked in her direction to see the beautiful blond smirking at him devilishly. Her question was odd. What prompted it? He wondered about it before considering her question. His mind reached out to feel her energy. He wasn’t shocked to find what he did but it still managed to take him back. Shizuka’s soul was dense. If he had to compare her reiatsu density to anything it would be like a water tank. Dense, packed, and full. He was no slouch himself when it came to reiatsu quantity but Shizuka must have had twice what he did. But he was also aware that her reiatsu output was leagues better than his. Luke’s bread and butter was close-quarters combat, combining physical strength with reiatsu reinforcement to give him superhuman strength. He was a brawler while she was a caster, essentially.

However, simply classifying the two of them in such simplistic terms didn’t do either of them justice. She was a Fullbringer with her own set of unique abilities and he was a Bount. ” Don’t know. Not sure how it would go. It could certainly go either way. You undoubtedly have new tricks up your sleeve while I’ve been out of it for a long time. Literally out of it. I’m stronger now than I was before, for certain, but so are you. So it really could go either way.” Luke explained as his Battle IQ ran through a multitude of scenarios calculated by his past combat experiences as well as what he knew about Shizuka. It wasn’t a concrete answer, for sure, but that was the reality of the question. Luke didn’t know. He leaned his cheek on his left hand's index and middle fingers knuckles before he returned a smirk to her. ” I’m certain I’d give you a run for your money though. After all, I know better than anyone how to score a guaranteed KO on you.” Luke said in a hushed voice as his eyes drifted to her neckline and gave her a flash of his teeth with his smirk. Then he blinked, though, and realized that her sentence may have meant something else entirely.

” Unless you’re not meaning in a fight. In which case, Shizuka, yes absolutely. You’d melt in my hands just like you always used to. Why do you ask?”

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Luke's words were sweet. They made her smile and blush only slightly, but it was enough that he probably saw. She started feeling safe and a lot of the negativity she had towards him was somehow just going away. This was unexpected. Her plan was to absolutely hate him for the rest of her long life, but he managed to figure out a way to soften her shell and break through the crack that had formed. Agreeing to join her was one thing, and she was so incredibly happy that he'd even consider that, but he had taken her punches and just gave her time to be frustrated. He gave her the opportunity to be okay around him, and that meant so much.

She wasn't sure if she could completely forgive the man. It may take some time, but he did say she was one of the few who he could truly trust in this world, so she felt that she at least owed it to him to try. Besides, she felt the same way. She trusted him despite everything that happened. Her heart was happy when she looked at his face. Her mind was starting to calm back down. The anger was dissipating. Maybe they could be friends. Maybe they could try to move on from all of this. She was willing to give it a shot, at least. For him.

But there was more to it than that. It wasn't just the fact that they were talking and enjoying each other's company like old times. It was how inviting he felt, how he didn't shy away from her, how even back in the apartment he seemed to almost want to torture her when he got changed. Shizuka had only taken a few bites of her food to distract herself because she had chosen to not fall back into old habits. She didn't want to be the same person she was so many years ago who yielded to Luke at nothing but a glance. She wasn't that type of woman anymore. Not usually. Maybe once... but not this time.

When she smirked at Luke and challenged him, he came right back at her. Either he knew what she was getting at and chose to discuss a different meaning just to tease her, or he actually was weighing both options considerably. He had an interesting way of figuring out who would win in another spar, but when he finally mentioned that either one of them could come out on top, Shizuka's excitement rose. He'd made it clear that he wasn't ready to face her again, and she'd certainly never pressure him into something that strenuous so soon after waking up from his healing slumber. But it was just one comment that sent her over the edge she'd been keeping herself from stepping off of so soon.

”I’m certain I’d give you a run for your money though. After all, I know better than anyone how to score a guaranteed KO on you.”

She watched his eyes trail from her own down to her neck as his teeth flashed a brilliant white. She remembered. There wasn't much from that fight that she could easily recall but there was one thing she absolutely would never forget - how his teeth felt against her skin as he bit down. How his arms felt around her body. How her knees became weak. How she so desperately wanted to rip off his clothes and ruin him when she finally woke up. These memories flowed back into her mind so quickly that her lower abdomen betrayed her as she felt a familiar aching start to develop. Of course he knew how to beat her. Of course he knew her weakness. He used it on her hundreds of times before and only once was it ever to end a fight.

”Unless you’re not meaning in a fight. In which case, Shizuka, yes absolutely. You’d melt in my hands just like you always used to. Why do you ask?”

God, she already was. It was embarrassing how quickly Luke was able to get her to fold, but the aching had become so strong now that her breath was a bit heavy. The mixture of seeing him in the shower, the memories of the two of them flooding back, and seeing his handsome face smirk the way he used to when he was being cocky was getting to her so much that she was struggling. Wasn't she trying to stop herself from being this way? Wasn't she trying to be respectful? But if he wasn't looking for anything then why was he acting flirty? He could have rejected her when she touched his thigh and didn't. He stayed sweet. Shizuka unlocked her phone, opened her wallet app, paid for their food, and came back to the stools. Grabbing his arm with probably way too much strength, Shizuka spoke with more resolve in her voice than she's had in years.

"Fuck it. Come with me."

Traveling back to the apartment took almost no time at all. She hated that she'd mentioned no one was allowed at her place because that was purely a method of keeping herself behaved in front of him. Still holding his arm, she all but dragged him into the elevator that brought the two all the way up to the penthouse. Luke had been to this particular one before, so he'd recognize the fancy decor and marble everything. With an odd sense of urgency, she opened the door and gave him the opportunity to take in the sight. It wouldn't have changed since he last came over all those years ago.

"I have been trying to be good all night because I was so upset with you when you called."

Shizuka turned and faced Luke once the door was closed, then closed the distance with a single step. Practically reversed from how this type of situation usually is, she pressed herself against the man and pushed him until they were both stopped by the door behind his back. Her cheeks were pink, her pupils dilated. Her forearms were all that touched the door on either side of Luke, but his body was what separated hers from the dark wood. He'd be able to feel her heartbeat as it threatened to deafen them both with its sound.

"I didn't know what to do because I was worried you were going to say something I didn't want to hear, or maybe tell me that you were back and for me to stay away."

More daring now than she had been all night, Shizuka moved her left arm off of the door and instead cupped the side of his neck with her hand, digging her nails into his nape. Her breathing was so heavy and she had no idea how to make it stop. They'd barely even gotten inside and she wasn't sure if she even wanted to hold back anymore. She knew how she was supposed to act with him but threw all of that out the window the moment he flashed his smile at her when he reminded her of what he could do when she needed to be subdued.

"But I don't think that's the case." Shizuka gently pressed her lips against Luke's neck just under his jawline and shifted her stance so that her legs were somewhat between his, closing the distance between their hips even further. "I don't think you want me to stay away," she stated, her voice almost a whisper as she pulled the neckline of his shirt down to expose the top of his chest. She kissed that, too.

What was she doing? Clearly, she knew what she wanted from him, but was she seriously going to let her lust get in the way of what she'd decided when she saw his face again? She was stronger than this. She had been in the past and definitely was stronger than this now. But it was as if she just wanted to be able to free herself from these stupid chains of self-control that she had shackled herself to all night. She didn't want to be perfect or be held on some pedestal or anything. She felt how hard Luke's body was against hers, wondering if perhaps another part of him would feel equally as hard if she were to touch it. Was she really going to forego all the effort she put in so far?

Absolutely.

"I think you want me here," she emphasized with a kiss in the center of his chest even though his shirt was blocking her from reaching his skin. "Maybe here," she said with another kiss against his neck. "But definitely here." Finally she dared to reach down to that spot below his waistline, feeling his length through his pants only for a moment before removing her hand and wrapping both around his neck.

He felt exactly the same as she remembered. His muscles were solid from all of the physical activity he was forced into just by being spiritually inclined. He was just as warm as she always knew him to be, making her own body heat to almost extreme levels as she fought to not use Soul Command to rip his clothes off. No, not this time. She wanted to take them off by herself. She wanted to see him lying on her king-sized bed in her room with her massive bay windows overlooking the city. She wanted the moonlight to illuminate his naked body, each chiseled crevice from years of hard work being displayed for her to admire. She wanted to make him remember all those nights before when they thoroughly explored each other, only to exhaust themselves and end up fast asleep, curled up in each other's arms.

Yeah, she did want even the romantic stuff. But right now, no romantic gesture was strong enough to distract her from the carnal desire she felt for this man. Unable to avoid it any longer, Shizuka bit her lip as she thought for a moment about how Luke may react, then decided she didn't care. She matched his lips with her own and kissed him. The motion, along with her arms being around his neck, erased any space between their bodies. It was as if she couldn't get enough now. She needed to be closer somehow, feel more of him. Their lips parted after a few seconds and she smiled slyly, even if only to herself, as she wiped the right edge of her mouth with the middle finger on her opposite hand. Then she looked him in the eyes and grabbed one of the belt loops on his pants.

"I think it's time we made up properly."

[Luke Clyburn]

Why had he flirted with her? It was a good question. If Luke had been fine with leaving things as they were why did he decide to respond to her question with a heavy innuendo? Maybe Luke wasn’t content with just staying friends with her. Perhaps he did want things to be like they were between them. He didn’t want to let her go. Well, his words certainly affected Shizuka. Luke noticed that after he gave Shizuka that little line the look in her eyes changed. Like something in her had snapped. Like a switch had just been flipped and now she was staring him down. She got up and promptly paid for their meals and before Luke could even protest anything she had him by the arm and was dragging him back the way they came. ”Hey, hey, Shizuka slow down.” Luke protested with a laugh though did nothing to stop her.

Because once they took that elevator ride up to an all too familiar room, there was no stopping Shizuka at this point. The line had been crossed. Almost as soon as Luke closed the door the woman would rush him. She pressed her body up against his, catching the Bount by surprise, and pinned him to the door. Her breathing was heavy. He could feel her heartbeat through her chest. Each beat resonated against him. The excitement of the situation forced a smirk to be born on Luke’s face as he looked down at the woman who was eyeing him like a hungry animal. She started touching him. His neck especially. Luke sucked in a bit of air through his teeth when he felt her nails dig themselves into his skin. He felt her position herself between his legs to close the distance between their waistlines.

Luke’s heartbeat was also increasing. As Shizuka felt around his chest she would undoubtedly feel his accelerated heartbeat. His face began to burn red as his breathing quickened. Then she erased the space between them. With her arms around his neck, she erased any space between them as she mixed her lips with his. It was like Luke was suddenly electrocuted. The sensation shocked his lips. He hadn’t realized how badly he craved this. When Shizuka kissed him she’d feel the man press back. He deepened the kiss on his own, erasing any worry she might have about his response. His hands found themselves at her waistline, feeling her physique and curves. One of his hands found itself planted on the smell of her back, while the other found itself somewhere lower. Fingers pointed down towards her thigh he would give what his hand was cupping a squeeze. It didn’t last long enough. Luke opened his eyes back up to look at her as she tugged on one of the belt loops of his pants.

"I think it's time we made up properly."

Luke blinked. He even smirked again. Before Shizuka could move him he suddenly reversed the situation. He lifted her and spun her, pressing her firmly against the door. He kept his face as close as possible, noses just barely touching, and smiled at her. ”You? Good? You’re such a jokester.” Luke whispered to her before kissing her again. Being the one to engage it this time. He put his weight into his waist and pressed himself up against her own, making slight motions so that she could get a good confirming feel of what she had just barely touched a moment ago. She would know exactly how badly his body wanted her. With his right hand, he felt the underside of her thigh, while he leaned a bit into his left forearm that he kept held to the wall above her head.

As he kissed her he’d slide something through his lips and into her mouth. Dancing it alongside what she kept in hers. Pulling back he touched his forehead to her. ”You think I want you to stay away? No. You know what I want. I know you can feel it. I know you’re feeling it too. I want you all to myself all the time.” he whispered in her ear, making a motion with his waist to grind it against hers. To add to it, Luke kissed her on the cheek, then the jawline, and then kissed her on the neck. Trailing his lips across her skin each time. He knew her weak spots and intended to make use of them.

He wanted her. Luke wanted nothing more than to tear her clothes off this instance and devour her. If Shizuka was gungho for this to happen then he was certainly willing and able to match her enthusiasm. ”You’re right. I have a lot of making up to do for you. I’m going to spend this entire night showing you just how sorry I am. Maybe you’ll forgive me in the morning..” Luke eyed her before whispering into her ear, ” If you can move that is.” with a smirk. He wanted to tear into her now, but his eyes drifted to her neckline and his mind briefly returned to the sensation he felt earlier today. Those amber hues looked at her for a second before his lips peeled back across his teeth into a smile. He didn’t need to ask. He knew what she was into. If she did end up having a problem then he would just apologize in the morning.

Luke opened his mouth ever slightly and licked the skin across her neck. Then, with the activation of Futter, his incisors increased in length. He would then bite down into her skin, making sure to get her exactly where he remembered she was most sensitive, and press down. He did it slowly. Agonizingly slowly so she would feel his teeth go deeper and deeper into her. When his incisors broke her neck's skin the taste of iron washed over his tongue. Blood pooled in his mouth and with a gulp he drank it down. But there was more to it than just that. Luke was not a hemophile. He had no attraction to or taste for blood. Blood was nothing more than the vector by which he fed on her reiatsu and very soul. Through the use of Futter Luke fed on her very spiritual energy. The taste of her reiatsu, as well as her soul, overpowered the iron taste of her blood. It was like a nectar. Like the sweetest and richest thing Luke had ever tasted. He applied more pressure and leaned further into her.

What Luke didn’t realize was how ravenous he was. When he got that first taste of Shizuka’s very being, her very essence, it was like giving an addict their hit. Luke continued to drink from her way more than he had expected to. The taste of her soul was so good that he didn’t want it to end. He breathed heavily through his nose as he slipped his right arm behind her back and held her waist directly against him. Luke’s ravenousness was not his own though. What he was taking from Shizuka was going to three problem children that dwelled deep, deep, within his soul. The three Dolls that were still currently regenerating. Reforming and healing. The stream of reiatsu and soul was being split between their three, starving, ravenous existences.

So Luke lost himself a little. He lost control of his hunger to her taste. He would have taken over sixty percent of her reiatsu before he managed to realize what was going on and, finally, let go of her neck. Strings of spit and blood connected his lips to her neck as he breathed heavily. His head was hot. His cheeks were flushed. There was a familiar throbbing pressure only he as a man would recognize. No cold shower would be able to calm him down now. Futter had flipped his switch. He took short gasps, breathing against her neck, before finally pulling back and looking at Shizuka’s face and licking his lips. Luke’s amber eyes glowed with energy as he now looked at her like she had been looking at him. With hunger. ”The side dishes are done. I’m ready for the main course.” he said to her, kissing her once again quickly, before questioning her with one word.

”Bed?”

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

OOC: Okay this is as far as I'm going LOL. You can post Luke's response and then we'll have to fade it out.



Caught off-guard by the initial movement, Shizuka didn't expect Luke to be as enthusiastic as he was. It was a welcome reaction, obviously, but she still didn't know what she thought he was going to do. The immediate acceptance was nice, though it was also a bit odd for her. Was she really considering this after it had been so long? It didn't seem quite as long to him given the circumstances, but what about her? Well, truthfully, there was only one thing on her mind. That thing was standing in front of her, pinning her to the door just as she had with him shortly before, and being so goddamn sexy that the heat growing inside her abdomen was overwhelming.

Shizuka felt Luke's body as the hardness of it gave her the information she was looking for. He was just as ready as she was. Evidently, he wanted to take charge this time and she didn't have the desire to tell him otherwise. Yet. With his kiss, as Shizuka tasted him, she was reminded of how they were together years ago, of everything they both liked, the long talks, the fun at night. Even his tongue felt strong against hers and that brought out something that she'd been fighting the entire time she was with him. She'd melted, and not just figuratively. There was a level of readiness that only women would understand that she felt as a response from her body.

All too soon, he broke contact. ”You think I want you to stay away? No. You know what I want. I know you can feel it. I know you’re feeling it too. I want you all to myself all the time.”

He was so close to her and her brain was a total mess. She couldn't think straight. His lips were so soft against the skin of her cheek and neck that she felt weak, and when the pressure of his mouth pressed against the skin of her neck once again, she wrapped her arms up under his and held on to his back so that her legs wouldn't give out. She gasped, unable to focus her vision. Even just this was enough to make her unfold. This was enough to make her give in to the temptation. He was torturing her and she was afraid he knew it.

”You’re right. I have a lot of making up to do for you. I’m going to spend this entire night showing you just how sorry I am. Maybe you’ll forgive me in the morning... If you can move that is.”

Ugh, his smirk. His stupid, cocky grin. The one thing that made her never say no to him. He got away with so much back in the day just by making this face at her, and she was never one to resist. But now, she couldn't do anything. She didn't know what to say and her thoughts were so jumbled that it felt as if she had no control over herself. She watched Luke's gaze focus on her neck and she immediately knew what it was he wanted, which made her return the smirk he had given her only moments before. She knew what he was thinking and she didn't want to be the one to tell him no.

"Do it then," she said to him breathlessly, granting him the access he didn't need to ask her for. Luke's tongue was warm as the lick made her shiver, but what followed made her react the most. His teeth, now elongated fangs, bit into her skin. She dug her nails into his back and gasped, pulling him into her more and more, as if begging him to do it harder. Too slow at first, though before she realized it was even happening, his teeth broke through the skin and she couldn't help herself anymore. Biting her lip in an attempt to quiet herself, she'd fail anyway, moaning loudly as her entire body trembled. Embarrassing, she thought. I can't believe he was able to make me do that by only this...

He kept feeding, accompanied by the sounds of pleasure that Shizuka made in response. Her body was still shaking from the experience shortly before, but she was beginning to feel something too familiar. This happened twice that she could remember, from two different Bounts, and she still felt anxiety because of it. She trusted Luke and didn't think he would do something like this, especially when she was so willing to give herself to him, to end her life. That wasn't the case. But he was clearly so starved that he must have found it hard to pull away quickly, and the Fullbringer was stuck between loving every second that she felt the warmth of his mouth and the sting from the bite, and fearing that she wouldn't wake up if she were to lose consciousness.

Her worry faded fast, thankfully. Luke pulled away, exposing the wound he'd made to the air. It was cold and the feeling of his teeth slipping out of her skin made her sad for reasons she didn't really understand, especially since she had just been worrying over whether or not he'd be able to hold himself back from draining her completely. But once she could see his face, the mimicked hunger in his eyes that she'd shown him when they made it back to the apartment, the only thing she felt was unapologetically aroused. She welcomed his kiss since she still wasn't capable of forming proper words, but found some way to do so when he made his offer to go to the bedroom.

"No," she started, glancing down in the direction of her bleeding neck. She had sheets to worry about. "Not the bed. Something else."

Shizuka's hands trailed down the backs of Luke's arms from their perch just above his shoulder blades. Every muscle felt so strong, hardened by years of training. His skin was smooth, which shocked her given who he was. Did he even have scars? Would he let her explore every inch of him to find out? Shizuka had her few, but she healed well, so they were small or incredibly difficult to see. That, or covered by clothes most of the time. Clothes that were feeling too restrictive, too suffocating. She took hold of Luke's left hand and walked him to the bedroom with her.

The room was unnecessarily massive. It had enough space for a sitting area and the closet, alone, was almost humorously large. But what really made the entire thing so lovely to her was the fact that it had these giant bay windows that opened up and allowed access to a lovely balcony overlooking the town. Bright lights and a variety of sounds flooded the outside atmosphere, though she wasn't focused on any of it. She led Luke over to the windows and gave him the opportunity to look out, enjoying the view. She didn't want to rush too much even if every ounce of her screamed for a taste of him.

"No one can peer inside despite the clarity of the windows from our perspective." She gripped the bottom hem of Luke's black shirt and lifted it, hoping he'd allow her to stand on the tips of her toes to remove it completely, exposing his body. She'd seen it from the back when he showered, but this had her swallowing hard. Luke was a beautiful man. "Which means you can change your clothes, or just enjoy your own privacy..." Her hands drifted to the button and zipper of his jeans, undoing them quickly. "Or fuck me against them without worrying about anyone seeing us."

She didn't remove her own white blouse or black dress pants since she was so intent on focusing on him first, but she was sure to leave her shoes at the door. Her thumbs hooked inside the waistline of his pants, pushing down on them only a little bit before she kissed his chest. She wondered if men were just as sensitive as women in some ways. Only on one side did she use her tongue to play with the peak that was exposed. It was brief and mostly a test to see if he'd react positively so she could put that detail aside in her mind for later, but she also couldn't stop herself from trailing her tongue back up to his collarbone, then to his neck again, and finally back to his lips. Her left hand let go of his pants as it trailed back behind his head to pull him closer to her and deepen the kiss. The right one stayed.

Quickly, she pushed down on his pants once again and followed through with the rest of her body as Luke remained standing but she was on her knees and his clothes were around his ankles. He was exactly how she remembered him from all those years ago - hard, intimidating, and exactly what she needed. She pressed herself against the lower half of his body, looking up at him with pleading eyes and a smile that was begging him to let her do this. He wasn't the only one who was ravenous. She had no idea what had come over in the short time she'd spent with him but it was as if her body was never going to be calm again unless they had their fun. Shizuka wanted to feel every bit of him. She was craving it. If he even tried to remove her pants and any layer of clothing beneath them, he would see exactly how much she needed this. He just had to give her that green light.

[Luke Clyburn]

To say that Luke was a bit distracted was an understatement. His breaths were heavy and slow. His eyelids lowered a tad as Shizuka answered his question. She didn't want to take him to the bed just yet. Looking at her neck briefly made it clear to him that maybe she didn't want to ruin her sheets. He felt bad for just a moment. The puncture wounds left in her neck bled out slowly. He wasn't worried about her bleeding to death, but bringing her any harm didn't sit well with him. Now, granted, he knew she was into this. That's why this feeling lasted only momentarily as Shizuka grabbed him by the hand and led him to her bedroom. Each step felt like it took an eternity. He wanted to hold her from behind, throw her on anything, even a table or the couch, and tear her clothes off. But he kept his patience and moderated his ever-growing desires.

He never could understand why she needed such a massive room, especially when she didn't fill it up. The closet made sense to him. She had a lot of clothes and shoes, after all. He remembered the times they went shopping together, and, as much as Luke hated the shopping, he always remembered how happy she looked getting new stuff. She led him by the hand to the massive windows she had in her apartment and looked out at the city. The lights from the buildings cast a variety of blues, purples, and soft whites against the two of them. Luke didn't look at the city for long before directing all his attention back on the blond lifting his shirt.

He'd wrap an arm around her waist again to pull her close as she kissed his chest. "I'd like that." He responded after making a suggestion that caused his face to flush further. Heavy exhales escaped between his lips as she kissed his chest and experimented to see what he liked. Luke closed his eyes and let out a slight groan from the sensation he was experiencing before opening them up again when he felt lips on his collarbone. Their lips reunited into a deep kiss. He couldn't get enough of the feeling of her lips. The electrifying sensation that was born from their union was something he could experience again and again and never get tired of. His hands had found their way behind her, sliding across her waistline and clutching both sides of her rear. He started digging his fingers in and pulling them and her closer to his body. Luke exhaled heavily through his nose as he pushed back against her lips with his own, deepening the kiss. His body was ready. He could certainly feel it.

But she broke them apart all too soon. Shizuka's right hand yanked his pants down, and the woman followed the motion. He blinked with surprise when he realized what she was wanting. He figured that he'd be the one doing everything for her tonight. Luke was the one with things he had to make up for, after all. The look in her eyes told him that he wasn't the only one hungry tonight. The pleading look and smile she gave him was enough to throw aside any hesitation. "Go ahead." he said quietly. Luke ran a hand through her bouncy blond hair and stretched his fingers across her head. He grunted alongside a loud exhale as Shizuka started to dig into the dessert she had been craving. "Ah.. Shizuka..”

—------------------

The city was beautiful at night. It was funny how, even after living here for years, Luke was still wholly enraptured by the sight of it at night. Or it was just the windows of her room that were catching the lights just right. Luke leaned his head against the window frame. He wasn't looking at anything in particular. He was just lost in thought. He heard a car drive by but didn't see it because Shizuka's apartment was so high up. The previously mentioned blue, purple, and soft white colors that came through her window painted his shirtless body wonderfully in the light. He held a glass of water in his hands that he lifted to his lips and drank. The Bount then turned his attention back to the side of the apartment and looked around at the mess they had made.

Clothes were thrown all across the floor. Wadded-up tissues were strewn all over the place. At some point, they had given up caring about getting them in the wastebasket. Luke had already picked up and put away the damp towers they had briefly used after their shower. His amber eyes drifted to the woman sleeping in the bed they had just spent hours getting a full body workout in. She was sleeping soundly. He looked at the two bandaid pads that he had applied to her neck and couldn't help but smile a little. He had gotten rougher with her than he intended for sure. But it was all out of his system now. The clock on the nightstand said it was 4:17 in the morning. He was going to let Shizuka sleep. She didn't have the same accelerated rest cycle as he did. Just an hour of sleeping in bed had utterly refreshed and restored him like he had gotten nine hours of sleep.

Part of him wondered if it had been a good idea to go through with it. Their relationship, he thought, was incredibly complicated right now. It's not like Luke didn't enjoy it. Hell, he hadn't even been the one to instigate it. But Luke wondered a little about what Shizuka thought and felt about it. When she woke up in the morning, that was a conversation he would have to have with her. It could not be avoided at this point. But for now, he was going to let her sleep.

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Exhausting. That was the one word that could describe everything they had done that night. Shizuka was entirely exhausted, but it was worth it. Even if Luke thought he was going to spoil her in some effort to apologize in a way he knew how, she ended up taking control to the point that she'd made him beg. She felt better. She felt like she'd won. She also felt... relieved. After so much time, the insecurities she had about his leaving and all seemed to start to fade, and that was a good feeling for her to have.

There she was, fast asleep, dreaming about their last night together. Most of the dream was good and reflected a fair amount of things they had done more recently, but some of the dream was not. She watched Luke walk away from her, and even though she called for him, he kept walking. He eventually drifted into absolute nothingness, leaving Shizuka there with tears in her eyes, wondering why he never told her exactly what he was trying to do or the dangers that may come with it. She thought he left because he stopped loving her and couldn't man up and say that.

On the inside, Shizuka was fighting off her nightmare. On the outside, Luke would be able to see her, still completely naked, lying on the bed with her head and a pillow at the foot of it while she curled herself up underneath the loose covers. She started making soft whimpers, her body reacting to what the dream was doing to her, and her eyes had become a bit dewy. Her eyebrows were furrowed in sadness rather than anger. Against her will since she was still sleeping, Shizuka had managed to reach out in Luke's direction with her left arm while he stood by the window and beckoned for him to join her.

Only after a few seconds of this did her eyes slowly open, stopping the nightmare from continuing as she began to realize that he was still there. He was still with her. He didn't leave her again. Luke was okay, physically in the same room, and he hadn't abandoned her. She took a deep breath and lifted herself out of the bed before walking over to where he was standing by the window. The city at night was really something else. Part of why she'd chosen this location was so that she could hold a cup of tea or something and just watch the world unfold. This time, rather than a cup of tea, she instead chose to hold Luke by draping herself against him.

"Come back to bed with me," she started, still very sleepy with a voice almost too quiet. "I miss your cuddles."

It was almost funny how incredibly human this entire scene was. She'd begun to stop considering herself one after all of these years. She recognized herself as a Fullbringer, and despite the fact that she was still clearly a regular human, she wasn't "normal" by any means. Not anymore. Something that Shizuka longed for was a life where that's exactly what she could be. She loved the life she had, sure, but it was so impossible to look at her friends and see that they had no worries. They went on with life and lived it however they wanted to without any chains holding them to something the way Shizuka's spiritual abilities did.

Luke made her feel like she was normal. Just like them. So as she stood there with him for a moment, her naked body pressed against his for stability since she was still very tired, she found herself breathing calmly with a clear mind for the first time in forever. She nuzzled her face against his chest and quietly sniffed, enjoying the scent he brought her. It was a mix of the body wash he'd used before and a very typical smell that men only get after sex. It was nice. She didn't want to let him go. She wanted to be able to hug him like this and experience this scent as much as she wanted. But she had this fear that he'd abandon her just as he had before.

[Luke Clyburn]

Shizuka, stirring awake from her rest, caught his attention and pulled it away from the city skyline. His eyes, which still glowed ever slightly in the dark, turned their attention towards her nude, picturesque form approaching him. She draped herself against him, and he, in return, wrapped his free arm around her and smiled softly. "Come back to bed with me," she pleaded to him in a voice that demonstrated she wasn’t awake yet. ”Yeah, alright.” was all he said in response as he placed the cup down and walked her back to the bed. Climbing into bed next to her and covering the two in the bedsheet, Luke draped an arm around her and pulled her close to his torso. He lay on his side with the pillow between his head and bent arm. He could see her perfectly well in the dark.

Luke just looked at her with a smile on his face. He didn’t need to search his soul to understand his feelings when he looked at her. It was almost funny. Shizuka was looking for something from him similar to what he was searching for. Luke was a Bount. But he had been raised as a human and, for a long time, believed himself to be an ordinary human. His life had been one insane adventure ever since he came to Karakura Town. Ranging from monsters that tried to kill him, to his life in the fighting ring of a prison turned into a nightclub and who he met there, to meeting and being trained by a Shinigami, to his battle against the Quincy that forever changed who he was as a person, to Uzaki Enterprise, and then to his struggle against his own Doll that robbed him of three years. Luke’s life was unbelievable.

He was powerful—the strongest Bount. But as much as he loved the power he possessed, he hadn’t realized just how lonely it was at the top. But then he found Shizuka. She, despite the craziness of their lives, made him feel like an ordinary man. Like a human again. His anxieties, concerns, and worries just washed away when he was with her. Luke was truly happy when he was with her. And like an idiot, he had tried to throw away that happiness once before. But now those problems were rectified. Luke had been given another chance. What he wanted more than anything was for this night to go on forever. There was no telling what tomorrow or today would bring. He just wanted the two of them to stay in this moment forever. He didn’t want to lose her.

”Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.” Luke whispered to her as he kissed her on the forehead, making himself a little more comfortable. He started shutting his eyes, breathing in the scent of her hair. ”I won’t ever leave you again, Shizuka.” he said as the forced sleep began to take him as he activated Schlafen. As his consciousness faded, a series of words slipped between his lips, even quieter than a whisper, as the light in his eyes dimmed before going out.

”I…ve…u.”

”Sleep well, boy.”

It technically wasn’t morning at this point. It was closer to noon than anything. But that’s what happens when you don’t get to sleep until four in the morning. Bacon and sausage grease sizzled in the pan while the coffee maker whirled to life to start making the brew. Grabbing the tongs to flip the bacon, Luke hummed to himself. He was in a cheery mood. He was positively glowing. Once again, he had woken up before Shizuka and, as quiet as a mouse, had picked up her room, cleaned the tissues and towels, and thrown around clothes. He didn’t have anything else to wear, so he had just put yesterday's clothes back on. Seeing how he had taken two yesterday, he didn’t need to worry about showering. So now he was busy making breakfast for them and, if anything, making a protein-rich breakfast. He had snuck off to the store while she was sleeping and picked up some stuff that was on sale before starting to cook. He probably could have gone through Shizuka’s fridge, but something about that felt rude.

A noise behind him caught his attention, prompting him to turn to look over his shoulder. ”Good morning! The food’s nearly done. Do you want eggs? How do you like them?”

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

His body was warm. She needed that warmth as the cool air of her penthouse reached her skin, making her shiver. Having someone there to comfort her was appreciated, especially when it was someone like Luke. Shizuka felt her heart start to calm for what seemed like the first time in years. It began beating at a normal pace, completely unaffected by the world or worries she'd had before. She was, in that moment, very safe and secure. The size of Luke's body was enough to shield her and the large bed was comfortable enough to fit them both generously. For a lack of better words, Shizuka was very 'extra' when it came to her furniture. She liked nice things.

Luke pressing himself against her and whispering sweet nothings made the Fullbringer feel so incredibly tired that she couldn't help but close her eyes once again. Almost immediately, the dreams started but they weren't the same nightmares she'd woken herself from moments ago. They were pleasant and Shizuka saw herself with Luke in various situations in the future. Several made her feel so excited that she began smiling in her sleep. After unconsciously nuzzling herself closer to the man, she allowed herself to drift entirely once more into the dream world she'd come to enjoy. The only thing that could have possibly distracted her from this journey was the whisper she could have sworn she'd heard from Luke's dream body as he shared that he loved her.

---

Shizuka was not graceful when she woke up. She was laying around in bed with a major pout on her face as she glared off to the side at the window where the sun was happily shining through. She had been up very late the night before and was woken up several times throughout the night due to her various nightmares before Luke solved that problem for her. With a groan, she rolled over and left the bedding where it was - messy, unmade, needing to be fixed. After somehow managing to stand up, she came to realize two major things. The first was that she was very, very sore. Her neck hurt, though that bothered her less than the pain she felt from her unmentionables. The second thing was that her hair was a disaster.

She trudged over to the bathroom where she grabbed her brush, tried her best to detangle the bird's nest that her hair had become, then balled it up into a messy bun. This hairstyle tended to be her favorite whenever she had lazy mornings. It kept everything out of her face and still looked moderately cute, so she figured it would be okay for now. Then she was able to scavenge up some clothes, keeping it simple with a pair of short pajama shorts and a cropped hoodie, exposing her abdomen. It only took a second for her to sniff and realize Luke was not only still there, but he was cooking for her. Y'know, it's weird that this has happened twice.

Yawning dramatically, Shizuka made her grand entrance into the living room that blended nicely with the kitchen in an open floor design. She looked over at the couch, thought about throwing herself on it and going back to sleep, then decided not to and finished walking over to the granite counter island that separated her from where Luke was cooking. With another audible groan, she dropped her head on the counter and embraced its coolness. She really didn't want to be awake. Her face, threatening to display the least attractive look she'd ever had in her life, was at least being hidden by the fact that she refused to raise her head up.

"Good morning! The food’s nearly done. Do you want eggs? How do you like them?"

Her head finally lifted. "I don't know how you can be so cheery in the mornings. Aren't you nocturnal or something?"

Another yawn later, Shizuka abused Soul Command to pour herself half a tall glass of concentrated chai that she controlled the fridge to release from its chilled prison. Soon after, she repeated the motion with the milk that was kept there, as well. After gripping the glass, she put her head back on the counter and closed her eyes. She started to realize sitting normally was painful and adjusted her right leg underneath her body to separate herself from the chair, then relaxed. Again, weird that this had happened twice. She sat for just a few seconds like that before finally answering Luke's question.

"Um.. Over easy. With toast. White toast, because I'm not a heathen." She watched Luke cook for a few more seconds before speaking up again. "Oh, and thanks for picking up my room a little bit. That was... unexpected, and actually incredibly sweet. You do know that I can clean all of that up in a matter of moments just by waving my hands, right?"

She teased, lifting her head up once again to take a few sips of her chai that she expertly made. She'd since put the concentrate and milk back in the fridge, hoping he'd realize she can do things for herself without even getting up. Shizuka had no issues with physical activity, but sometimes she just seriously did not want to move. One of those times was this morning. She was so incredibly thankful that she was getting so spoiled that it almost distracted her from something that was nagging at the back of her mind - something she wanted to confirm for herself. She wasn't sure if they ever said such a thing to each other before last night.

"But I suppose that's what you do for the people you love." Shizuka took a sip of chai again, eyeing the man with a slight grin despite her efforts to handle her drink. Once the glass had been lowered, she spoke up again. "Anyway, so let's talk business. You agreed to work for me. No take-backsies. Your uniform is required to be a suit purely because you look good in them, and you have to have a set of handcuffs in the back pocket. And, no, that's not for what you think. You know those things can't hold me." She eyed him again. "They're for you. For whenever you piss me off. Which, for the record, you've managed to not do ever since we left the ramen shop. But I'm still holding you accountable for everything before that."

She had to genuinely consider which position he would fit into, as well. Col occupied a gun seat, and Luke could easily fit into that spot without an issue as Number Two. He'd be considered a Rifle just as Shizuka was years ago, but something about that didn't sit well with her. It was a good position, and the pay wasn't anything to laugh at, but she still felt like that wasn't just right for some reason. Tilting her head from side to side a few times as she thought, the blonde had a sudden epiphany that she realized would be perfect for the Bount. She just hoped he agreed, but at the end of the day, he seriously didn't have a choice.

"In terms of a more formal job offer, what about Chief Strategist?"

[Luke Clyburn]

”I don't know how you can be so cheery in the mornings. Aren't you nocturnal or something?" Luke chuckled in response to her question. Shizuka never could handle mornings, even if she was positively glowing. After what they did last night, he was sure she was probably feeling a little sore all across her body, especially in two places. But overall, he was confident she was perhaps in a good mood. Well, even if she didn’t have her face on, it didn’t stop Luke from thinking she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. ”I’m just a better sleeper than you.” Luke responded to her question in jest. ”And only sometimes. Is your neck alright, by the way? I got a little carried away last night.” was his response to the second part.

However, before their conversation could continue, Shizuka used her Soul Command abilities to move things about the kitchen. I forgot she could do that. Luke thought to himself as he eyed her ability to manipulate objects and use it to make herself a morning drink. This didn’t look like telekinesis, though. It looked like the objects themselves came to life and were doing precisely what Shizuka intended for them to do. It was not like she was moving them with her mind, but as though they were catering to her will for a drink. Luke didn’t have a total understanding of what Fullbringers could do. He understood the concept of awakening the soul of an item they held near and dear to their hearts to make it into something that was a weapon. Still, the casual manipulation of inanimate souls was beyond his scope.

He, as a Bount, fed on souls. But she, as a Fullbringer, manipulated souls. Funny how that worked out. His attention was drawn back to what she said next to him, thanking him for being kind enough to clean her room for her despite the fact that she could wave her hands like a Disney princess and magic it all away. ”I know. But I got up way earlier than you and wanted to do something nice. I didn’t want your room to start smelling.” Luke replied as the cooked bread popped out of the toaster and put it on a plate. As Luke made those maneuvers, though, he heard Shizuka say something.

"But I suppose that's what you do for the people you love."

As Luke collected their plates of food, he looked at her and blinked. He couldn’t help but smile lightly at her and shrug his shoulders a bit. ”I just considered it common courtesy, y’know?” he said in response as he put the plates down in front of them. He wondered what she was fishing for with that question. Had he said something last night? There were things he wanted to tell Shizuka, but right now, it wasn’t the right time. Not for those words.

Before Luke could talk or dig in, Shizuka suddenly hit him with many words. Seems like she had woken up. She immediately wanted to talk business, and, for a second, Luke thought she meant Xcution. That’s right. He did say he finally intended to join them. A mixed feeling bubbled up in his gut that could be mistaken for indigestion for a second, but it quickly ceased to exist when he realized that Shizuka seemed to be talking about something else. He raised an eyebrow quizzically at the mention of handcuffs before blinking in realization at what their intended purpose was.

”I take it you have something in mind with them, then?” he asked playfully before hearing her mention that while he had been a good boy and not pissed her off since dinner last night, he would still be held accountable for vanishing on her. Luke avoided her gaze for a moment, his body language admitting his defeat there. He didn’t have anything to say to that. But then she made her offer to him. ”In terms of a more formal job offer, what about Chief Strategist?" Luke returned to looking at her quizzically. ”Chief Strategist? I thought Xcution was just the Seven Guns. What’s this position, and what are its responsibilities?” Luke asked, all businesslike, as he lifted his coffee cup to his lips and took a drink.

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

"I’m just a better sleeper than you. And only sometimes. Is your neck alright, by the way? I got a little carried away last night."

Shizuka, still groggy at this point, touched her fingers to her neck where he'd bitten her twice. She hadn't realized that it actually was a bit sore under the bandages but it wasn't bad enough to negatively affect her. With a shrug, she decided it wasn't a big deal since, unfortunately, that was her favorite thing for him to do and she didn't want to inflate his ego even larger than it already was. Honestly, it could have been worse. She wondered how much of her feeling tired was due to just hating waking up at all or because Luke had drained her last night. She started to feel a bit of anxiety but quickly pushed it down. He wasn't trying to kill her. She was fine.

"Eh, I've felt worse."

Moving back into other parts of the conversation, after Shizuka had gotten her tea settled, her little hint to Luke that she'd heard what he said the night before seemed to get ignored. Well, for a second it was like he could have remembered what he said, but then he totally dismissed it. Furrowing her brows in slight confusion, Shizuka tilted her head and listened to him literally skate around the topic entirely. Her stomach sank. Did she not hear him correctly? No, she was almost certain of what he said. But what if that wasn't it? What if she actually did mishear him and this was all a mistake and she shouldn't have brought it up and now he was judging her for even asking and - Did he use me?

Holding it together just long enough to state her initial intentions with severely punishing him for what he did to her for three years, Shizuka clenched her fists in her hands and thought for a good while about what she'd say. And if she should say anything. She waved off his first question even though she knew he was joking, but she wasn't in a very playful mood anymore. She was feeling insecure. Slumping down in her seat after she offered the new position to the man, she realized he was asking her a question so she tried to look back up at his eyes. He was also a bit more business-like now than he was before. She tried to match that energy and choke down any desire to question him.

"Chief Strategist? I thought Xcution was just the Seven Guns. What’s this position, and what are its responsibilities?"

"We're more than that. We have different divisions, though we had to downsize several years back after things got a little tough when Satsujun... left." An awkward pause. Was it still so hard to talk about that guy? "You would be handling things like battle strategies, alliances, telling me what not to do and having to deal with the fact that I'm going to do it anyway and then teaming up with Felicia to knock me back in my stupid chair and actually do my job. Things like that."

Clearly speaking from experience, Shizuka took another sip of her chai and held the glass in her hand for a second just to give her something to fiddle with. Did he really not remember saying those words to her last night? She was so sure that she distinctly heard them and was panicking at this point, afraid that she was very much wrong. She couldn't have been wrong, though. Clenching the glass a bit harder, she couldn't hide the mild anger that was slowly painting itself on her face. The glass clanged against the granite countertop and her full attention was focused back on Luke. She wasn't wavering anymore and almost felt guilty for taking her anger out on him.

"But this is a leadership position! It's actually important. Not that the other positions don't have a purpose but you'd be seen as a mentor. You'd be seen as a very strong person. Like a threat."

[Luke Clyburn]

"You would be handling things like battle strategies, alliances, telling me what not to do and having to deal with the fact that I'm going to do it anyway and then teaming up with Felicia to knock me back in my stupid chair and actually do my job. Things like that."

Luke leaned back in his seat and held a hand to his chin. Her explanation of the roles and responsibilities was interesting. Battle strategies? Alliances? For whatever reason, hearing those things brought about some uncertainty and anxiousness in Luke’s guts. He would be in charge of those kinds of things if he accepted the role of Chief Strategist. Luke suddenly wasn’t so certain. He hadn’t been this entire time. Being an assassin hadn’t sat well with him, but this different opportunity almost sounded outside of his expertise. As far as he knew, he had always been a rather rash, blunt punk. He always thought with his heart rather than his brain. It had gotten him into trouble quite a lot when he was younger. Why was Shizuka offering him this position when an assassin role suited someone of his caliber so much more?

But the more he thought about it, the more those anxieties started to unravel. Luke had matured quite a bit from what he used to be. He took things much slower than he used to. He thought things out. His amber eyes lifted from the table and went to Shizuka. He thought he saw a flash of anger on her expression for a moment, but he didn’t think too hard on that. Did Shizuka see something in him that Luke wasn’t aware was there? He knew Shizuka had a habit of scouting out talent for Xcution. She had a good eye for people. After all, she had decided to date Luke. She must have had some sort of hidden talent for seeing the potential in people. If Shizuka had faith in Luke’s capabilities to do something like this, maybe it was worth taking the hand she was extending him and seeing where she would lead him. He might discover something about himself he didn’t know existed yet.

She added more details about the position. This wasn’t just a position. It was a leadership one. Luke removed his chin from his hand and stared at her. Was she offering him one of Xcution’s leadership positions? That’s how big of a deal this chief position was. Luke blinked at her. Out of the blue, he suddenly remembered once upon a time when Shizuka was talking about Luke being a king. Was she still thinking about that? She wanted him to lead Xcution with her, was that it? Luke lowered his hand, grasped his own cup of coffee, and took a rather long drink from the hot, bitter liquid. When he finally lowered the cup, he stopped looking at Shizuka and just looked past her. Just from the expression on his face, she could tell he was deep in thought. He used all of his brain power to make this decision.

Luke wasn’t stupid. He understood really quickly what this meant. If he agreed to this, there was no chance he could back out of it. He would be dedicating himself to Xcution and Shizuka. Well, he had already agreed to join Xcution and do whatever it was Shizuka wanted of him until she had forgiven him. But this had more weight to it than just becoming an assassin. Actually, wait, did it? Luke wouldn’t be the one actually killing people. He looked at Shizuka again and wondered if that was part of why she had chosen this role. Did she not want him as an assassin because she thought it would make him uncomfortable? Was she considering his personal feelings, thinking about him that much? Luke lowered his gaze and let out a breath he felt like he had been holding for way too long.

”Y’know, I was a Manager at Kazura’s for a while. I’d like to think I did a pretty good job running my department. But I never thought I’d be going from that to being offered this. Here I was, thinking you’d have me slitting throats, not running the organization alongside you. What, are you afraid of me not coming back from a mission?” Luke asked, as a joke, before immediately feeling bad about it. ”Don’t answer that, actually.” he tapped a finger on his coffee cup a few times. ”If you’re offering me this position, then you obviously have faith that I can do it. It isn’t what I was expecting. But the more I think about it, the more I like it.” Luke returned his gaze to Shizuka with a look of steel determination in his eyes.

”I’ll do it. I’ll become your Strategist. But I first want to ask, why? How come this position and not an assassin?”

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

She was surprised that he didn't pick up on her queues, not she chocked it up to him simply being a man. Normally, she was much better about sharing her feelings, but right now, Shizuka was so on edge around Luke because she couldn't completely drown the thought that she had just been used by the Bount. She was a fool. There was no reason to invite him back like this and now he was hurting her even if he didn't realize it. She didn't understand why it was so difficult for him to say the same three words he'd mentioned the night before. She wondered if he even meant them, or perhaps he was thinking of someone else entirely.

With a sigh, Shizuka did her best to ignore her negativity. She worked for so long to get over this man and wasn't about to let a single night get in the way of that. If his only goal out of all of that was to regain his strength and throw her away, then that was that. It made the decision for her. She couldn't fathom why he'd come back to see her otherwise, especially if he didn't actually love her the way she thought. She felt so stupid. Shizuka rested her chin on the knuckles of her right hand as their chat continued, looking at Luke with an uncontrollably sad gaze. She didn't realize she was doing it, but she was completely at the mercy of her emotions.

"Y’know, I was a Manager at Kazura’s for a while. I’d like to think I did a pretty good job running my department. But I never thought I’d be going from that to being offered this. Here I was, thinking you’d have me slitting throats, not running the organization alongside you. What, are you afraid of me not coming back from a mission? ... Don’t answer that, actually."

I shouldn't be surprised. He's still trying to play with my heart even after everything he did. Shizuka refrained from saying anything and only blinked at the man in front of her. She knew exactly why she didn't want him going out on the front lines. It had nothing to do with his abilities or how weak he was, because he wasn't weak at all. He would be an excellent Gun. But his powers had nothing to do with it. His talents had nothing to do with it. He had more battle smarts than he realized and could make informed decisions if other people's lives depended on it so long as he focused on them instead of using himself as a sacrifice. So that wasn't it in the slightest.

At least towards the end of his thoughts, he warmed up to the idea before asking, "I’ll do it. I’ll become your Strategist. But I first want to ask, why? How come this position and not an assassin?"

"Because you can't handle everything that being an assassin forces you to do."

A quick, sharp answer. She didn't bite her tongue and responded almost immediately after he asked his question. With a sigh, she removed herself from the seat at the counter and instead sat herself down on her couch so that her back was facing Luke. She didn't want to look at him anymore. She grabbed a pink fuzzy blanket from its perch on the back of the piece of furniture, spread herself out on one side of the sectional, and laid down so she was staring at the ceiling blankly. How did I ever become such an idiot around him? Why did I let him back here? The lack of control that I have is appalling. I thought I was better than this.

She was better than this. She'd had flings before, but not with exes. Maybe that was why they needed to remain exes? She couldn't be sure. The thought of this mess gave her a headache and she had to extinguish the fire that burned in her throat, threatening to bring tears to her eyes. She wrapped herself up in the blanket like a burrito and curled up on the couch, still staring at the ceiling, still avoiding Luke's stupid face. Part of her wished her departure from the bar stool would send a hint to him that it was time to go. Part of her wished he'd hold her and tell her how he actually feels. The rest of her just wanted some clarity that she felt like she could never have.

"Luke, I have been killing people for thirteen years." Shizuka's voice was soft but still more serious than she had been the entire time he'd been with her since waking up. "I've told you a million times over that it's become so easy for me to do this job. You don't have the same disregard for people that I do. You don't have the same thirst for blood, and it's different than the one you usually experience. You don't have the guts to do what I do on a daily basis and still come home thinking you're one of the good guys."

Her hand broke free from her soft cocoon as she pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and index finger with another sigh. She couldn't believe she was having this conversation with him after offering him a job. Her words were likely going to make him take back his promise to join her, and she couldn't figure out whether that gave her anxiety or relief. For three years, she pined after him, wondering where the hell he went and why he wasn't coming back. Nothing he'd said in their last conversation gave her any ideas, so when he stopped responding to her, she truly assumed he just abandoned her. And why not? Everyone else had.

"I don't want you to end up in a position where you can't forgive yourself. I know what I do is morally questionable, but I firmly believe I'm getting rid of criminals, even if criminals are the ones who hire me. Y'know why? Because I almost always end up targeting them, too." A brief pause hit the room as she calmed herself down, twisting her head so that her left cheek was against the bottom cushion. Her face was buried in the back of the couch. "You're just better off away from all of that stuff."

You're better off away from me.

[Luke Clyburn]

"Because you can't handle everything that being an assassin forces you to do."

Her answer was so sudden and quick that it managed to catch Luke so off guard he didn’t close his mouth all the way. The Bount looked at the Fullbringer with a surprised expression before finally closing his lips together. ”Oh.” was all he replied with as he avoided her gaze for a moment, looking at her again when she got up from her seat and maneuvered herself to the living room. She thought he couldn’t handle it? Luke didn’t see any point in arguing that. Even when he agreed to join Xcution, he felt anxious about actually doing assassin work. Luke had his reasons for finally deciding to join Xcution. He had spelled them out to Shizuka last night, after all. But being told, bluntly, right to his face, that he didn’t have the stones to be an assassin did sort of hurt his pride.

Luke watched Shizuka. His stare glued to her back as he watched her sit down on the couch and wrap herself up in a blanket and lie back down. He blinked and furrowed his brow. Something was wrong. Luke had known this girl for a long time. Dated her as well. He knew what sort of snacks she liked, her favorite movies, and little things here and there to make her feel appreciated. His boyfriend senses were going off. Something was wrong. Something was bothering her. Luke remained in his seat as he watched her lie down and continue to speak. Her words were harsh but fair. She told him how she had been an assassin for thirteen years now. Thirteen years to adjust to this career, take people’s lives, and get herself in a headspace where she was okay with it.

She was right. He didn’t have the same general disregard for people that she did. Luke could kill, yes, but not indiscriminately. Luke needed a reason to kill. To protect himself? Yes. To protect someone else? Yes. To put a stop to someone who could become a threat down the line? Yes. But because someone paid him to end a life? It would depend on who the target was. But, even then, Luke wasn’t sure if he could go through with it. Luke cared about people. Not intimately, but he valued other people’s lives. Especially when he was a creature that had to consume lives to live. His amber eyes blinked when she mentioned she didn’t want to put him in a position where he couldn’t forgive himself. He might even chuckle at her statement if he wasn’t so preoccupied with worrying about how she was behaving. Not because it was funny but because he had already been in that position once before.

What was she upset about? Luke recognized that something was up. But what was it? Everything was going fine until a moment ago. Did he inadvertently step on some hidden landmine? Luke lowered his gaze and eyelids a little as he thought back over what they said to each other since they woke up. Then it hit him like a sock full of bricks. "But I suppose that's what you do for the people you love." And then what did he say in response to that? Oh, you idiot. Luke said to himself as he hid his face in his hands, thankfully hidden from sight because Shizuka was lying down on the couch. If what was wrong with Shizuka was because of what he thought it was, he didn’t just step on a landmine. He set off the entire ammunition depo. She hadn’t been saying that randomly, had she? She was fishing for something, and he done fucked it up.

Rubbing his hands down his face, Luke looked at the back of the sofa and silently sighed. Pushing himself off the counter, he quietly approached the couch and peeked over it at Shizuka before making his way around. Without a word, he decided to sit on the side with her legs. Looking at her for a few moments, Luke smiled a little, reached over, and began scratching her back. The fabric was soft against his fingertips as he gently dragged his fingers across her backside. ”Now that I think about it… I never did tell you there was a chance I wouldn’t come back, did I? I had some big battle I had to do, and I never even told you that you might never see me again.” Luke said softly, looking away from her but continuing to scratch her back.

”I think I didn’t want to jinx it. I didn’t want to risk any bad luck. But, still, I should have told you. Warned you about the risks. It wasn’t fair to you. Now, here we are.” Luke said with a bit of a sigh before looking over at her again. ”I’ve already been in a position where I couldn’t forgive myself. And you were the one who helped me get out of it, which isn’t any surprise at all. You just have a way of making people feel better. You’re kind, sweet, and have a heart bigger than anyone's. Even if I had to do what you do, be an assassin, so long as it was with you, I would do it without complaints. I don’t care if that road leads to hell so long as I walk it with the woman I love, I’d be happy.” he said to her before blinking, realizing what just slipped out of his mouth.

Just say it, idiot.

”There’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you. I was going to tell you after I came back from the fight with my Doll. But with how things turned out I’ve hesitated. I didn’t want to mess with your head any more than all of… this that’s happened already has. But if I don’t do it now, I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to… so…”

Stop fucking stalling.

”...I love you, Shizuka. And I have for a long time. I fell for you that night when we kissed under the fireworks. I know how long it’s been, though. I know how long I’ve been gone. I know it’s selfish to ask, but… I have to ask about us. Are we done, or is there a chance that we can start over? Try again because I don’t want to lose you. I want you.” Luke didn’t realize how hot his cheeks were. He came clean about what he had felt for her. Something more than just a crush. Something more than just lust. Something that was making his heart beat harder than it did last night. There was a reason that all his anxieties went away whenever Luke looked at her. When he looked at her, he felt everything was at peace. The world looked brighter whenever he looked at Shizuka.

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

"Oh."

There it was. That was it. That was what she expected. The tone in his voice said it all and Shizuka knew exactly what she'd said to make it happen. He was probably thinking that she was being over-dramatic or couldn't understand where her anger came from, but how would he feel if he suddenly found out that he was used to restore her power and nothing between them existed? All of the kindness he'd shown her, the patience from the moment she saw him after receiving his call, was all gone. None of it remained and she knew it. So she carried on, saying words she knew would cut like a dagger.

As she let herself sink further into the couch, drowned by her own sadness and negative thoughts, she wondered if maybe he would just leave her like he did last time. Nothing would stop him from getting up out of his chair and walking out the door. Shizuka would let him. With a huff, she heard him move from his seat and start walking but her tightly-closed eyes kept her from peeking at where he was going. She didn't want to have her assumptions confirmed the moment he opened the door, so she stayed there, feeling tears well up that she wasn't able to hold back anymore. She felt so stupid.

But the door never opened. Instead, weight shifted on the couch near her feet. She glanced up from her cocoon and looked at Luke, highly surprised at the fact that he didn't actually go anywhere and was right there, looking back at her, watching how pathetic she'd become in a matter of seconds. One of the human world's strongest was acting like a complete mess as the man who had left her all those years ago chose to stay with her this time. She questioned if it was him, but his smile was somehow reassuring, and the pressure of his nails against the fabric on her back made her calm down almost immediately.

"Now that I think about it… I never did tell you there was a chance I wouldn’t come back, did I? I had some big battle I had to do, and I never even told you that you might never see me again."

"You never said a word," Shizuka said softly, not allowing her gaze to match his.

"I think I didn’t want to jinx it. I didn’t want to risk any bad luck. But, still, I should have told you. Warned you about the risks. It wasn’t fair to you. Now, here we are. I’ve already been in a position where I couldn’t forgive myself. And you were the one who helped me get out of it, which isn’t any surprise at all. You just have a way of making people feel better. You’re kind, sweet, and have a heart bigger than anyone's. Even if I had to do what you do, be an assassin, so long as it was with you, I would do it without complaints. I don’t care if that road leads to hell so long as I walk it with the woman I love, I’d be happy."

Her eyes widened. Staring at the cushions of the couch, Shizuka's heart was beating so loudly that it felt like the percussion section of a band. She feared he could hear it. She didn't want him to know how nervous she was, and she especially didn't want to do or say anything that would make him stop scratching her. Her toes, chilled by the air in her apartment, found their way under his thigh as she stretched her legs towards him and buried her feet beneath his body. The comfort he provided her was almost enough to get her mind off of what was happening, but not quite enough to fully distract her.

"There’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you. I was going to tell you after I came back from the fight with my Doll. But with how things turned out I’ve hesitated. I didn’t want to mess with your head any more than all of… this that’s happened already has. But if I don’t do it now, I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to… so…"

Mess with my head? He thinks calling me out to find him, using me, and then lying to me isn't messing with my head? But was all of this something someone would do if they were about to say what Shizuka thought was going to come out of Luke's mouth? She felt herself grow so nervous. Her palms were sweaty. She was panicking. She wasn't sure if she needed to stop him or if she should let him continue. If he actually said those words, could she return them? After waiting for three years and doing what she could to move on, was she really going to be able to say it back? Now, not just her palms were sweaty. She felt the rest of her body start to heat up. She was scared. Genuinely scared. She could stop this. She could just tell him to stop talking and-

"...I love you, Shizuka. And I have for a long time. I fell for you that night when we kissed under the fireworks."

"Luke..."

"I know how long it’s been, though. I know how long I’ve been gone. I know it’s selfish to ask, but… I have to ask about us. Are we done, or is there a chance that we can start over? Try again because I don’t want to lose you. I want you."

Something inside of her was burning. Not with anger, not with sadness, but with something else - something strong. She let out a deep breath before she finally mustered up the strength to look at this man, tears falling down her eyes as they stared back at him in shock. He... loved her. He loved her. He actually said it. And he wanted to still be with her, even after all this time. She found it so hard to believe that it made her heart hurt. Fighting back the urge to cry even more than she was already doing, she sat up, untucked her feet from under him, crawled over to him, then straddled herself over his lap before settling down as she faced him. She pressed her body against his in a hug as her arms, still clutching the blanket, wrapped around his shoulders so both of them were now covered with it instead of it just being her cocoon. The right side of her face lightly touched the right side of his and she closed her eyes again.

"I have waited for so long to hear those words. And I never thought I would after everything happened. When you left, I thought that was it. I tried to move on... I mean, I tried as best as I could. But you were always there. I always hoped you would come back to me. I didn't know if I could bury the frustration or betrayal or confusion that I felt. Then when you called, I guess I kind of lost it. I didn't know what to do so I ended up doing the only thing I know how to. I found you."

She clutched the man beneath her, doing her best to share her body heat with him. She could feel his heart and hers matched in intensity. He'd be able to feel it, perhaps even hear it, and that was fine. She didn't care anymore. She was desperate to be as close to him as physically possible, even if the position she was in happened to be so vulnerable. Had she ever really had deep conversations with him? She knew how she felt, but thinking back on it, she wasn't so sure. Back then, they had been much more physical. It wasn't as if they didn't care about each other, but perhaps that was where the insecurities came from. Insecurities... ...and I don't know if I can fight them.

Shizuka pushed herself up and pressed her forehead against Luke's, trying to still somewhat hide her entire face from him somehow. "Luke Clyburn," she stated, her voice not much more than a whisper. "I love you, too. I never stopped. But I just... think I need time. With you, not away from you. There is so much going on in my heart right now and I feel like it could burst out of my chest any second, but you have no idea how happy you make me. I want us to be able to find comfort with each other again, and I'm hoping... y'know, maybe... you wouldn't mind being patient with me?"

It was a lot to ask. Thinking on it, she understood that time didn't pass for him the same way it did for her. He didn't experience everything that she did while they were apart. He had no idea what she went through just to try to move on only to never be fully able to despite her efforts. The relationships she had, the ones she was building, she wanted to figure out for herself how to navigate all of these factors without hurting anybody. Now that he'd come back, she also had to navigate how much she trusted him. Despite Luke being the only man she ever fully trusted in this world, the faltering she felt in her soul made her so uneasy.

"I completely understand if this isn't what you expected. I want to give you everything you deserve in a relationship and make you happy. And I think I can do that for you, but it's been so long that I can't help but feel like maybe we should try to rebuild what was lost during those three years. That foundation that we had. If this is all too much, though, I won't blame you for leaving again."

She couldn't hide the disappointment in her voice as she feared she was self-prophesizing. Planning for failure, perhaps. He would tell her no, and that was fine. Asking someone to practically start from ground zero again was entirely too big of a favor. She knew this, yet Shizuka found herself wiping the tears as they fell down her cheeks, missing a few that landed on Luke's shirt. Her forehead was still pressed against his, unable to look him in the eyes. She couldn't. She was scared to. Asking a guy to wait for her basically murdered any chances at a relationship and she knew that. So, instead, she did her best to force herself to be okay with the inevitable awkward friendship that eventually dissolved into nothingness. The best they could be was strangers.