Rough Edges [Bleach, Kenpachi/Unohana, T]
Title: Rough Edges
Author: valentineninja
Rating: T
Warnings: Suggestiveness and implied sex.
Word Count: 2,455
Prompt: For springkink 20-Bleach; Zaraki/Unohana; hairplay; unexpected tenderness
Summary: He was rough around the edges, but that was a big part of his appeal.
A/N: …er, I'm a little nervous about writing these two. I get the feeling that I may have made Kenpachi too soft, but I really liked how this short piece turned out. Also, I'm pretty shocked that I didn't work any profanities in there.:P Apologies for being so late and for the lack of smut in this fic. I'm not entirely sure if this was what the OP wanted, but hopefully you'll enjoy it anyway!
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of the characters used or mentioned in this piece of fiction. I am making no money off of them.
…
He'd watched her for several minutes, tending to the wounded, trying to save as many as possible, but he could see that despite her excellent skills in healing, she was running herself ragged. He'd never been one to care over what happened to others aside from Yachiru, Ikkaku, and Yumichika, but he'd found another name added to that list as of late.
Turning on his heel, he ignored his own wounds and bruises and stepped out of the fourth division, turning his back on its captain. There would be plenty time later to tend to her.
…
By the time she had finally left the wounded, forced to get some rest by her own Vice-Captain, the sun was rising for a new day. Her subordinates had assured her that if something dire arose, they would immediately inform her immediately, but that they would be fine without her for now. Isane and Hanataro both excelled at their healing abilities, so Retsu had no doubt that she was leaving her Division in capable hands.
Sighing gently to herself, she entered her quarters and went straight for the shower to rid herself of the blood on her hands and robes. The war against Aizen had been a brutal and painful one, but thankfully most of her patients were not in immediate danger of dying anymore. Many were critical, but stable and she had faith in her Vice-captain to keep them all alive until she returned.
Normally a bath would be welcome, but she was too exhausted for it and so settled for a shower. When she emerged from the bathroom, clad in nothing but a robe, she settled near her futon to brush out the long strands of her damp hair.
She stared at her reflection in the mirror and wondered if they would finally find the much needed peace that had been missing from Soul Society for many decades now. As a healer by nature, she was against anything and everything that represented unnecessary violence and death, except… she was contradicting herself and she knew it.
Never before had she met anyone like the captain of the Eleventh Division. He was a complete… brute, for lack of a better word. But that hadn't really stopped her from feeling a very strange attraction towards him.
But despite the few aches she sometimes felt after being with him, she knew that Kenpachi cared for her wellbeing, the same way he cared for those of his Division closest to him.
Smiling to herself, Retsu pulled back the sheets of her futon before slipping between the clean, cool blankets, her exhaustion catching up with her. She would have plenty enough time later to worry about her patients and think on how amusing it was to see Kenpachi attempting to be gentle in his clumsy way.
…
Kenpachi Zaraki had never been known for his patience, and even though he knew that it was against the rules to trespass on another Division's private rooms, he decided to do as he pleased. As usual.
Slipping silently into Unohana's room, he found her still peacefully asleep. A part of him sneered at the fact that she hadn't detected him already. What if he had been some attacker? She'd be dead…
Growling low in his throat, he approached her, his steps lighter than he could've thought himself possible. Just as he was reaching a hand to shake her awake, he jumped back, narrowly missing getting his fingers broken by the kendo stick in her hands.
He smirked mildly at her, taking in her half-sharp, half-sleepy gaze. She didn't look surprised to see him in her room, he noted with pleasure.
"You disturbed my rest," she said in her soft tone, eyeing his hair and the fact that it wasn't in its usual spikes.
"You would've been dead if I had come in here with the intent of taking you out," he snapped, drawing his own Zanpakutō before she could even blink.
The serene look on her face made him shift with the beginnings of anxiety, and they stared each other down, his one visible eye gazing into hers. "What's the point of having a Zanpakutō if you don't use it? Don't matter if it's against me," he said, grinning.
"You would enjoy that, wouldn't you?" Retsu asked, setting the stick back under her futon, her lips twitching.
"I would count it as foreplay," he grinned maniacally, sheathing his nameless Zanpakutō back and then setting it on the vanity, next to a delicate looking brush, the difference between the two not lost on him. He pulled off his Captain's coat before dropping to his knees beside her futon, eyes raking over the skin revealed by her parted sleeping garments.
"My eyes are a little higher, Captain," she said softly.
Reaching up a battle roughened hand, he traced a finger down her flawless skin, reveling in the goose bumps that rose on her skin. It was always good to know when his woman enjoyed his touch, even if he wasn't the most attractive man around.
"I need to return to my duties. You should've visited me a little sooner," she said, smiling slightly as she stood and moved away from her futon.
Zaraki bared his teeth in annoyance, but paid her warning no mind as he pulled off the top of his uniform, leaving him shirtless.
Retsu sat at her vanity mirror, taking up the brush that had been resting close to Kenpachi's Zanpakutō, and glanced momentarily at his reflection. Her eyes roamed the length of his chest, images coming easily to mind that reminded her how good it felt to have his rough skin pressed to her softness.
It had been such a long time since she had felt so desired by a man, but learning that Kenpachi had been attracted her had been like slamming head first into a brick wall. The man had absolutely no tact or finesse, and as such had not been discreet with his proposition to see her as something other than a Captain. Despite being quite shocked, she had not turned him away on the spot. Instead, she had thought about it for a few hours-because the man had no patience, either-before he had stormed into her room unannounced. Sitting at the same vanity, she had watched him in that mirror, and he had stared back.
Everything after that had happened after that was enough to bring a flush to her pale features.
The man was a beast in every aspect of his life, but she had to marvel over the fact that he had yet to leave her skin marred or her body hurt-and she didn't count minor aches as being hurt. Even in his most passionate moments, Kenpachi Zaraki knew how to rein in his immense strength.
Sighing to herself, Retsu looked away from him and began the task of brushing out the long length of her hair, the motions slow and soothing. Her eyes remained on the Zanpakutō before her, wondering silently as to why Kenpachi had yet to unlock its full potential.
Annoyed that she really was going to ignore him and run out as soon as she was done, Kenpachi approached her quickly and dropped to his knees behind her. Retsu couldn't quite ignore the heat radiating off of his large body, and the way his knees and thighs closed around her own. He practically towered over her, even while sitting, and she couldn't help but shiver at the hot breath on the back of her bare neck.
"Here," he groused, motioning for her comb.
Surprised, Retsu handed it over without a word. Her eyes met his only visible one through the reflection of the mirror while his large, rough hands took the brush to her hair.
Bracing herself for any rough treatment on her scalp, instead a shiver ran down her spine at his first move. The bristles passed easily over the hair that had dried in gentle waves after her bath a few hours before. His quick, even movements drew her into a sense of calm, enjoying his attention thoroughly. Had she been any younger, she would've giggled at him, but she couldn't really stop the sweet smile curling her lips.
His face was still severe as he quickly brushed through the locks of midnight in his hand, admiring the silkiness, and not for the first time. Unohana was a beautiful woman, and even more so with her hair unbound and framing her face the way it was now. He couldn't deny that the feel of her hair across his body was a definite turn on.
Tilting her head back, Retsu sighed to herself and felt the need for sleep resurface. She had trained herself to go on with little sleep, since her division could be needed at any moment, but the past few days she had very nearly run herself ragged. If she admitted it to herself, she could've spent the next two days sleeping, but she was needed elsewhere at the moment. She would just wait for Kenpachi to finish on her hair.
The next thing she knew, she awoke to a darkened room, asleep on her side and with a large, warm body pressed to her back. His thick arm wrapped around her waist, and Retsu knew by his even breathing that Kenpachi was asleep.
She'd also never realized how loudly he could snore, she thought with a bemused smile. Though if she reminded herself, he had never truly slept over before. Their relationship was a rather strange one which included plenty of nightly visits from the Captain of the Eleventh Division. It was no one else's business-in this they both agreed-and so it remained a secret that they were seeing each other. She wasn't ashamed of people knowing that she found Kenpachi attractive, but she could do without the whispers and looks from people for as long as possible.
"You're thinking too hard, woman," he rasped against the back of her neck, sending a shiver down her spine.
Retsu smiled and slowly stretched against him, making sure that the entirety of her backside rubbed against the front of his. "You have gentle hands, Captain. You put me right to sleep."
Kenpachi growled like a dangerous animal and shifted behind her, showing her that there was nothing gentle about him. "How about I turn your opinion of me around?" He just knew that she was smiling and it made him grin, too.
"I need to see to my Division-"
Her words were silenced with a quick move that left her flat on her back and with Kenpachi's mouth burning on hers. She tried to feel his hair, wondering if he had used that hated material that left it soft, but his hands were digging hers into her futon, making movement difficult. "You're not leaving this room without giving me what I want," he said against the unmarked skin of her neck.
"And what is it that you want?" she asked in a low, breathy voice as he began to untie the sash around her waist, long fingers raising goose bumps on her skin.
Her back arched a little when she felt the warmth of his hand trail down her ribs and settle at her waist. What was it about this man that made her lose all inhibitions? He was… violent and rough. His scars only added to his appeal, but he wasn't in the least bit romantic and he had a crude way of seeing life. Why then, was he able to weaken her knees and make her heart beat faster in her chest?
His lips and teeth dragged down the skin left exposed by her parted robe, and one of her hands fisted into his hair, her breath catching as his mouth reached her bellybutton.
"Captain Unohana, Captain Ukitake is showing signs of healing-gah!" The door to Retsu's room was thrown open as her Vice-Captain stuck her head in. Isane stared in horror at the scene in front of her, feeling her cheeks burn red in mortification. Retsu sat up and closed her parted robe, seeing Kenpachi raise on his haunches as he began to growl low in his throat.
"Isane-"
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" the younger woman nearly screeched as the door slammed closed and her feet carried her as quickly as she could go.
The two on the futon stared in bewilderment for a moment, Retsu's eyes wide and Kenpachi with a dark look on his face after being interrupted.
"Poor Isane. I suppose that she will have nightmares for the next month," said Retsu's kind voice, tinged with amusement.
"Maybe this'll teach her to knock before barging in unannounced," Kenpachi chuckled darkly before turning back to look at her.
"I asked her to inform me as soon as Captain Ukitake showed signs of worsening or of healing. It is my fault," she said, pushing her hair over her shoulder.
Kenpachi shrugged and reached up to drag her hair back to where it had been, his fingers combing down the strands once more. She blinked a few times as she looked up at him, a gentle smile on her face as the pads of her fingers traced the lengthy scar on his face in return. "I must go back to my duties."
"Ukitake can wait a few minutes. Besides, if you really wanted to leave you would've been gone by now," he replied, roguish smile on his face.
"Then I suggest you hurry," she advised him, a twinkle in her eyes.
"Is that a challenge?"
Kenpachi's grin would've scared her if she hadn't gotten to know him so well in the past few weeks. Instead, she nodded and let her hands trail down his bare chest to untie his own sash. Their lips met with equal intensity, hands wandering and bodies growing warmer in each other's embrace.
She wasn't afraid of him or of what he did to her heart with his close proximity because she had finally found someone who didn't fear her. It was absolutely perfect that he could be just as scary as she.
"Should we lock the door in case Yachiru decides to interrupt?" she asked, head falling back as his mouth moved along her shoulders and collarbone.
"Ha! Yachiru would just plow through the door," Kenpachi replied before continuing with his ministrations. "Besides, she knows I'm taking some time to spend it with you."
Retsu's eyes closed in sensation and she smiled to herself. Yes, he was rough around the edges, but that was a big part of his appeal. She was glad that the beast of a man was very much hers.