Rise and Shine

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[Jyuushiko has been waiting here at least three hours now - Retsu has already come by once to ask if she'd rather just rest in her own room and be called when Shunsui finally woke up, but she wanted to be here, this time. With any luck his fever had broken enough that they could talk, at least.

The wheelchair was a concession to Retsu - one she had to somewhat grudgingly admit was necessary after her first attempt at walking to Shunsui's room had ended rather abruptly less than halfway through with her curled on the floor, racked with coughs that brought up blood. Still, she could have done without the reminder of her current continued infirmity. The blanket tucked in around her lap only makes her feel more like an old woman, even though she knows right now she'd be shivering otherwise.

Still, she knows Shunsui will not judge her weaknesses, which is a small relief. Of course, he'd have to wake up, first.]

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[He's quiet for a moment, confining his response to another soft hum as he considers what to say in response. Then there's a sigh to match Jyuushiko's, though it's more one of resignation. It's not the first time he's had the thought, since Aizen's goals had been laid bare, though it's the first time he's uttered it aloud, even to Ukitake.]

Perhaps not. But if that's true, then what of the person who sits on it now?

[Kyouraku doesn't flinch or pull away when she leans back, despite the fact that her weight - even as reduced as it is (and there's another flare of worry at that) - presses uncomfortably against his ribs.

He doesn't know if the bandages there cover the wound left by Aizen's blade, or those caused by the last flare of his sensei's zanpakutou but either way, he's well aware that they're far from healed. But the discomfort is offset by the cool, if reduced pressure of Jyuushiko's reiryoku - amplified by the closer physical contact - and the involuntary intake of air that he can't quite suppress is instead disguised by another soft, but short laugh.]

Optimism has always been part of your charm, Jyuu.

Can it wait until tomorrow? Even I can only avoid so much work in a day, and I'm sure Nanao-chan already has enough outstanding paperwork to cover all the walls of Eighth.

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[The person who sat on it now... They had accepted the rule of the Spirit King for centuries - complacency born out of trust in the order of things. But she of all people should have thought to question more than that - 'the order of things' was not necessarily a fair or just order. Aizen had left them with more to clean up than just the dead, it seemed.

The soft laugh is a welcome distraction from those rather unhappy thoughts, and she gives Shunsui a small, sidelong grin.]

My life would be too depressing if I wasn't an optimist, I think.

[Though even that joke is a little bleak, for her. Too much looking mortality in the face, these last few weeks - there have been close calls before, for both of them. It was part of being a soldier for centuries. But this one was closer than all of those had been.

She realizes how off that sounded, tries to cover it with a smile.]

As if Retsu would let you do anything right now - she's probably annoyed you're even sitting up.

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[He doesn't return her smile, instead turning his head slightly so that he can rest it against the top of hers; letting his eyes close and the tangled mess of his hair slip down to cover his face.

To Shunsui, the words are a painful reminder of his own helplessness in the face of Ukitake's sickness. That no amount of anger at whatever or whoever had caused it to happen can ever change the reality; that no matter how much he wishes it, he can never take her place.

You are a fool. She would not want it, even if it were possible.

Katen's interruption is not unexpected - her opinion on the subject having been made clear many times over the centuries - and her remark prompts a small, though bitter, smile.

I know that. Though some might argue that makes her more of a fool than me.

Out loud he just exhales gently against Jyuushiko's hair, slipping his other arm back around her waist to keep her where she is.]

If Retsu didn't intend for me to break the rules, she'd never have let you in. You're too beautiful a temptress and she knows my weaknesses far too well.

[This time his attempt at a laugh catches in his lungs, ending as a cough that he can't quite hold back. Mercifully it's just the one, but it still brings with it a sharp pain in his chest and the taste of ash and blood.]

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[She lets Shunsui tuck her up against him - half the time she'd complain, even in jest, about such an openly protective move, and certainly has in the past, the many times he's done it. When they were in the Academy, still working out the balance between them, it had frustrated her. But that was a long time ago, and right now - she's content to accept the gesture and what it means. A small bit of comfort when it feels like everything else is falling apart around them.]

Hmph. No temptress today - and you're not in any state fit to be tempted, I think.

[A small tease, though the humor in his voice makes her intent clear. The half-smile drops from her face at the slightly wet sound of that cough, though. Not the first time she's heard it outside her own body, but there's a surge of panic each time, knowing what it could mean.]

Are you alright?

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[A part of his mind knows that the lack of protest from Jyuushiko should worry him - that usually, even if he got his way, it was rarely without a tart remark at the very least. But he's too grateful to have her there - to feel the warmth of her body against him and the countering coolness of her spiritual power filling the dark void where his own should be - grateful enough to push the spark of concern away before it takes shape.

And besides - after two centuries, Kyouraku knows his own faults, and would never deny that an inclination to self-indulgence is of them, even at the worst of times... perhaps especially at the worst of times. Lowering his head slightly, he places a kiss on the exposed skin behind her ear.]

Oya, I'm always fit enough to be tempted.

[Still, he's careful not to inhale too sharply, especially with the weight of her against him - experimentally taking one slow, shallow breath after another. Kyouraku's memories of the past few days - weeks - are muddy, despite the clarity of the fever dreams, but he can remember the sensation of drowning all too well - of being unable to draw air into his lungs and the naked fear that had accompanied it.

It's something that he has seen for himself - that Ukitake has described to him many times after an attack, or after waking in a breathless panic in the middle of the night. But it's the first time that he has fully understood it, and his arms tighten around her a little at the question.]

You know me, Jyuu. It's nothing that won't heal - given enough time and enough sake.

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[She can't help a small shiver at the light kiss - her body may be battered and exhausted, but it still reacts - and that's a sensitive spot. The tiny spark of physical pleasure is enough to chase away some of the fear, unknot a little of the tension that the rough cough had brought with it.]

I didn't think to smuggle some in with me, unfortunately - though I think Retsu would have frisked me if I so much thought of it.

[The jest makes her feel a little like her old self, the rhythm between them familiar.