35 Compromises and Opportunities

On the afternoon of their tenth day of training, Ohta was seeing Karin off, as usual, when she turned to him, hesitating for a moment before saying, "The Fireworks Festival is tomorrow, so I might not be able to come over. What about you? Are you planning to attend...?"

"Unlikely," replied Ohta. "I've more or less cut ties with the world of the living, so it would be awkward if I encountered my former self or one of the people from my class that can see spirits."

"I see..." muttered Karin, lowering her gaze and appearing more than a little dejected. Not because Ohta wouldn't be attending the Fireworks Festival but because his words implied he might just up and vanish one day.

Plopping his hand down on Karin's head, Ohta ruffled her hair and said, "Get home safely, bokukko. I'll see you when I see you."

Without waiting for Karin's response, Ohta retracted his hand and turned to retreat to the interior of his apartment, closing the door behind him. He didn't exactly slam it in her face, but Karin's brows furrowed as she turned to leave, kicking an innocent stone as she muttered, "Idiot..." in reference to both herself and Ohta...

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*boom* *pa* *ba-boom* *crack* *kapaaa*

While he didn't attend the Fireworks Festival, Ohta did observe them from atop the roof of his apartment complex. He wasn't going to originally, but Yoruichi had come by after giving Orihime and Chad the day off from their training.

"They're quite beautiful, aren't they..." remarked Yoruichi, sitting in Ohta's lap in her feline form.

"They're not bad..." replied Ohta. He hadn't been interested in fireworks since he was a kid in his previous life, so while they helped to create a pleasant atmosphere, his expression was a mask of indifference as the light from the fireworks reflected in his eyes.

"One more week..." muttered Yoruichi. "A few days after that, you and your precious little Kuchiki will finally be reunited..."

Though he was tempted to reply it would be sooner, Ohta remained silent. If Yoruichi was anything to go by, the strength of Captain-class Shinigami couldn't be underestimated. He might be able to defeat them one-on-one, but if the Captain-Commander or several Captains teamed up to take him on simultaneously, he was fucked.

Raising her head and tilting it back, Yoruichi stared at Ohta from one of his few unflattering angles, waiting until he looked down at her to ask, "Want me to suck your dick? It'll make you feel better..."

"Probably," admitted Ohta, narrowing his eyes as he added, "But then I'd feel like shit and be more susceptible to your wiles in the future..."

"Is that really such a bad thing?" asked Yoruichi, lowering her gaze and adopting a slight pout as she complained, "You getting with Rukia while I was away on a mission wasn't even remotely fair..."

"You chose to go on that mission or were convinced to do so by Kisuke," contended Ohta. "And therein lies the problem. Until his 'objectives' are completed, you will continue being used and helping that man use others. I wouldn't have cared if you were serious about our relationship, but that ship has sailed. Once we rescue Rukia, I won't allow myself to become a pawn in that man's schemes..."

"Kisuke isn't a bad person..." muttered Yoruichi. However, she knew better than anyone that he wasn't a good person either. He might sport a goofy and playful mask, but buried beneath that very thin veneer, Kisuke was a cold, calculating, borderline emotionless man. There was a time when she thought she could change him, exposing the true feelings she believed he buried deep down. However, even after a 'romance' spanning sixty years, she never felt genuinely close to him...

Instead of responding to Yoruichi's faint assertion, Ohta remained silent for several minutes before saying, "It's getting late...you're free to sleep here if you want to, but don't forget the rules..."

"Right..." muttered Yoruichi, furrowing her brows as she said, "We can take baths together, but I can't sleep with you unless I'm in my cat form. Did I get that right...?"

Though he could see where things were headed, Ohta responded with a curt nod, affirming, "That's right..." in a faint tone.

Leaping from Ohta's lap, Yoruichi transitioned to her human form, staring down at him from the parapet surrounding the building's roof as she said, "Then let's take a bath..." with narrowed, challenging eyes.

"I'm pretty sure Rukia didn't consider the possibility we'd be sharing the bath in our apartment," replied Ohta.

Crossing her arms, Yoruichi asserted, "If we're going with things Rukia 'did' consider, we'd be having sex at least once a week. She literally gave us her blessing to Soul Resonate, but you're being an obtuse asshole..."

"She may have given us her blessing, but I never agreed to it..." replied Ohta. "If anything, I'm starting to believe we shouldn't see each other at all. I put my foot down to avoid the drama of being in a relationship with more than one woman, not incur it..."

Clenching her teeth, Yoruichi growled, "There wouldn't 'be' any drama if you were more sensible. Your girlfriend doesn't care if we fuck, and you 'know' you want me. I want you to, so what's the fucking problem...!?"

Catching Yoruichi off-guard, Ohta calmly replied, "It's because, as bad as your personality is, you're too amazing a woman. Even if it were just once a week, I would start looking forward to that day over spending time with my actual woman. You're free to blame whoever you want for giving you a heavenly body and an ass, pussy, and mouth that defy reason. But don't blame 'me' for sticking to my guns and remaining faithful..."

Recovering from her stupor, Yoruichi stared at Ohta incredulously as she asked, "Are you serious? You won't have fuck me because you're afraid it will ruin your relationship by making you want to continue having sex with me...?"

"Is that so hard to believe?" asked Ohta, eyeing Yoruichi from top to very perky bottom as he added, "You said it yourself...you're the closest thing to a 'Demigoddess' I'll ever meet. The time we spent together more than convinced me of that fact..."

Though she felt somewhat gratified by Ohta's words, Yoruichi's frustration far outweighed any positive emotions she was experiencing...

"Then, instead of once a week, we'll do it once a month..." said Yoruichi, her voice firm but her eyes subtly trembling. She felt like she was making a fool of herself, but after experiencing coupling through Soul Resonance, there was a feeling of 'emptiness' within her body that simply couldn't be filled by other means...

Instead of immediately rejecting Yoruichi's proposal, Ohta appeared to fall into deep thought before eventually nodding in assent, responding, "Fine. But only if you receive permission from Rukia on the day itself. If she dies, I don't want to see you in human form from then onward..."

Suppressing her almost overwhelming urge to punch, kick, and slap Ohta in the face, Yoruichi eventually offered a "Fine..." of her own. At the same time, she resolved herself, thinking, ("I'm going to fuck this asshole until he can't get it up for another woman..."). As for Ohta, his thoughts were, ("Well, there are worse things than having the Head of a million-year-old Clan eating from my palm...)

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*thump* *thump* *thump* *thump* *thump*

Recognizing the familiar knock, Ohta's brows creased as he opened his eyes to see that it was only 6:38. He had visited the underground study chamber to spar with Yoruichi the previous night, allowing them both to vent their frustrations, so he was hoping to sleep in until at least 8.

Exhaling a tired sigh, Ohta rubbed his face as he went to the front door, opening it to reveal Karin holding a helmet and wearing a red and white cyclist outfit. She had a bad habit of wearing very form-fitting clothes, but Ohta felt no obligation to comment on it. Once she realized the boys in her class were starting to view her as an actual girl, she would either start wearing more suitable clothes or go full 'sporty.'

After covering his mouth to stifle a yawn, Ohta looked down at Karin and asked, "Aren't you a bit early, boku? I'm guessing your dad bought you a new bike...?"

Instead of responding to Ohta's words, Karin stood statuesque as she stared wide-eyed at his exposed chest and abdominal muscles, nearly forming an eight-pack even while he was completely relaxed...

Snapping his fingers in front of Karin's face, Ohta stated, "It isn't polite to stare," before turning around, leaving the door open so she could follow at her leisure while he grabbed a spirit-thread t-shirt. Fortunately, thanks to his habit of always sleeping at least partially clothed, he at least had on a pair of sweatpants when he answered the door.

After following close behind Ohta, staring at his equally muscular back, Karin set her backpack and helmet down, waiting for him to finish getting dressed before saying, "Since I've been traveling back and forth so often, my dad bought me a bike..."

Exhaling a faint chuckle, Ohta mused, "If he knew where you were going, he would have bought you an iron ball and strapped it to your ankle."

Shaking her head, Karin surprised Ohta by revealing, "He's the one who let me come over in the first place. My sister blabbed about the scar on the right side of my body, so I told him about the Hollow attack and how you were the one who saved and treated me. After that..."

Unable to repeat her father's words, Karin averted her eyes and blushed slightly. She was pretty sure he was being his usual idiot self, but her dad had said it was okay to follow her heart so long as she didn't rush things or do anything against her will. She punched him hard at the time, but she was gradually starting to understand why he cautioned her after routinely coming to Ohta's apartment and spending time together...

"After that, what...?" asked Ohta. He had a vague idea of what Karin's father might have said to her, but it was difficult to accept any parent could be so 'irresponsible.'

Shaking her head, Karin quickly replied, "Nothing. He basically said I can train with you and that if I need to spend the night, I should call ahead to let him know..."

"Your father is a colossal idiot..." asserted Ohta, not doubting that Karin was telling the truth. Luckily, while he was an opportunist, he definitely wasn't a predator. If he was, the eldest of the Kurosaki twins might have found herself in a dangerous situation due to her father's ineptitude.

"You're telling me?" asked Karin, asserting, "I've known he was an idiot my whole life. But still, there are only seven days remaining of the time you agreed to train me. I want to become as strong as possible before then, so..."

("And here I thought I was the opportunist...") mused Ohta. Lucky for Karin, he did happen to have a free room on the second floor, above his old one. Thus, after a bit of deliberation, he adopted a teasing smile and asked, "Are you sure about this? You know how strenuous my training can be. At least when you commute, you have time to rest and relax."

Holding up her right fist, Karin replied, "I want to become stronger...!" in an enthusiastic tone. She was also excited by the prospect of staying in the same room as the boy she liked, but Ohta quickly shattered that hope when, after she was done calling home, he showed her to the apartment he had been using for storage on the second floor. As for her first training exercise, it involved moving all the boxes and bags from the second to the first floor...

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(A/N: I guess Isshin can't complain since he was at least several hundred years older than his wife, huh? It's too bad for Karin that even someone like Yoruichi has to jump through hoops to phase Ohta even a little xD...)