"Tatsuki!" Shimei smiled as the tomboy walked into the room alongside Ichigo and his parents. "I missed you, sweet thang!"

Luckily her female friend's reaction to seeing her was normal - well as normal as tears could be.

"Sweet thang?" She sniffled as she wiped at her eyes. "When did you s-start calling me that?"

Expression softening, the young blonde held out her arms and Tatsuki crawled into her hold.

"Since forever, I just said it in my head."

"That's lame." She warbled and Shimei rolled her eyes.

"You're lame." She retorted without heat and the dark haired girl laying on her sat up.

"Do you feel better?" She asked and the blonde nodded.

"That white haired doctor said I could go home in a few days and that a little while after that I could start physical therapy." Shimei explained as she shifted on her bed and allowed Ichigo to climb aboard. "And I'm on the good pain medication so I don't really feel anything."

Although the moment she was taken off of it was the moment she might decide to kill herself. And that wasn't even counting the torture that rehabilitation would put her through. Back when she hadn't been Shimei she had got into a car accident that broke both her hip bone and left leg and the amount of work and time she had to put in to regain the full motion of her body was unreal and terrible.

And now she would have to do that again, only this time the damage was worse.

Which meant that it would take even longer to get back on her feet and she would have to work even harder.

Joy.

"But anyways," She interjected cheerily in order to take her mind off of things. "tell me what's been going on with you guys. Don't leave anything out."

Ryuuken was checking over her wounds and Shimei found herself watching with a morbid sense of curiosity.

"They look hideous." She commented with a scrunching up of her nose as he cleaned the deep stitches and stapled shut injuries and he hummed. "And this is definitely gonna scar - bad."

"Most forms of bodily harm aren't meant to look attractive." He said in his smooth voice and she cocked her head to the side. "And yes it will but we're going to try our best to minimize the lasting damage."

Quirking a smile Shimei shot him a faintly amused look before she snorted.

"Should you really be this blunt to a kid?" She asked him and a single snowy brow rose. "I mean, what if want you said made me cry? After all, no woman wants to be told something like that about her body."

Ryuuken didn't physically roll his eyes but he definitely rolled his eyes.

"You don't strike me as the type to enjoy or appreciate sugarcoating and you hardly seem like you would accept a platitude or an outright and obvious lie meant to placate." He told her and she blinked. "Besides, you made the correct observation first, I only corroborated it."

Staring at him for a few seconds longer, the blonde awkwardly rubbed the back of her neck.

"Wow," She muttered. "you get all that from us spending a few weeks together?"

Ryuuken looked amused.

"No," He drawled. "your father is awfully fond of bragging about you and I am often recipient to his rants."

"Aw, that's cute of him." Shimei grinned and the man looked dubious at best and she rolled her eyes. "Come on, don't you have a kid or something?"

He nodded.

"A son."

"Then you understand then?" She asked even though she knew he wasn't the best of father's but he still had to love his son.

Ryuuken didn't even falter at her question but then again, she didn't expect him to.

"I suppose so." He answered and she frowned and then shrugged.

That was his own business and not her can of worms to open.

"You're a strange man." She told him and he smirked.

"The same could be said for you." He countered and she grinned.

"Touche sir."

Shimei had to take a drug cocktail practically every day and it was almost exhausting.

She had to take something for infection, something for nutrients, something for her immune system, hell - she was sure she had a medicine for the growth of her fingernails, that's how ridiculous the amount of narcotics she was on was.

And what was sad was that she needed every single one else there could be complications that would lead to shit she didn't want to think about.

Sighing as Tessai braided her hair, Shimei frowned as the stitched in her torso seemed to pull uncomfortably but it wasn't painful and so she didn't say anything - but her father in the corner noticed her reaction regardless.

"Are you in pain?" Kisuke asked her and she startled.

Turning to face him she started to shake her head but stopped when she realized it would ruin Tessai's work.

"No." She answered honestly and the blonde man hummed.

"Go get Ryuuken." He said to the man behind her and with one last implement of a hair band at the end of the fishtail, the gentle giant swept from the room.

Frowning she moved to cross her arms but paused when she felt the stiff tugging.

"I'm not in pain." She told him and with a smile, her father moved to sit in the chair directly next to her bed.

"Maybe not, but you aren't comfortable either." He pointed out and she scowled at his solid reasoning. "Besides, isn't it my job to make sure you're well cared for?"

Shimei gave him a dead-eyed stare.

"Not if you're gonna be a mother hen about it." She muttered and in a flourish, Kisuke snapped out his fan and fluttered it in front of his face.

"Hm, what was that?" He asked and she rolled her eyes in mock annoyance.

"You heard me, old man."

"Words can hurt you know." He pouted and she laughed.

"Sticks and stones." She waved off just as the door opened and she sighed when she saw Uryu's dad peering inside. "I'm not in pain."

"But she's also not comfortable." Kisuke interjected and she scowled at him. For real this time.

"But it also doesn't really bother me." She shot back and before her father could reply the white-haired doctor stepped forward.

"Even so why don't we take a look." He suggested and she held his stare for a few long seconds before she pouted.

"Fine." She groused as she pointed at the blonde man next to her. "But he has to leave."

"Shimei-chan!"

"You heard the girl, wait outside."

"But why does Tessai get to stay?"

"Because I like him and not you." She fired back automatically and her father wilted. "Now skedaddle."

Coming back home was in one word, strange. Everything seemed the same but she knew she hadn't been in this place for so long that her energy had all but faded from its halls. It was actually kind of discerning.

Seated in a wheelchair as she was rolled into the house, she looked around and breathed deeply.

"Happy to be back?" Tessai asked her and she nodded.

"Oh you have no idea even and I don't even regret the fact that we had to leave my dad at the hospital with the paperwork." She said honestly and a large hand ruffled her hair. "Not to mention hospital food sucks, I like your cooking the best."

Hearing a chuckle she was lifted up into the air and down on a beanbag like chair in the den and sighed.

"Why don't I prepare you something to eat?" He asked and she perked up.

"Curry?"

He shot her an even look.

"That isn't one of your approved foods." He remarked and she groaned.

"I was hoping you forgot about that." She grumped as she internally cursed Ryuuken for giving her a diet guideline like wow, way to be an asshole. "And I supposed fried chicken is off the list?"

He twitched a smile and she slumped.

"I don't even know why I asked."

"How about an assortment of rice balls?" He offered and if it had been anyone else she would have turned it down but Tessai was a wiz in the kitchen and his onigiri were life.

"Hell yeah!"

He quirked a brow.

"Heck yeah!"

"Better." He said drily as he moved toward the next room. "Call for me if need be."

Leaning back into her seat Shimei let herself starfish and marveled at the fact that it didn't hurt to do so.

Glancing up at the ceiling she didn't know how long she laid there on the verge of either falling asleep or into a trance but when a meow sounded she jackknifed upright and stared across the room because in the doorway was a black cat with yellow eyes and her breath caught in her throat.

Yoruichi.

This chapter was more drabble-esque I think. Sorry, it's short tho. And so Yoruichi is here! And she's gonna act like a cat lol. I can imagine Shimei lowkey trolling her.

I think their relationship will be a fun one but tell me what you guys think their relationship will be like!

Also on a side note if you haven't heard already I need some help!

Like I've never really asked for help with anything that didn't involve writing fanfic so I hope you'll consider lending a hand! ^^

I would like you guys to follow my Instagram because I'm trying to get a paid fashion sponsorship and I need a high number of followers to do that! And I have a high amount of followers on this website so yeah! It would really mean a lot to me if you guys would do this. Like it would mean so so so sooo much if you guys could do me this favor.

So help me out with a follow on my Instagram: slimjimsandarizonas pls and thank you!~

(Also if you don't want to help me then don't leave rude reviews about it bc I've gotten a few rude ones.)