Wǒ Ài Nǐ

Disclaimer:

I don't own the rights to anything related to the Japanime Bleach

The rights to that Japanime belong to…other people…

Note: This is linked to the story "Lethal Hornet, Timid Healer"

Hanataro cautiously knocks on the door leading into her office.

She calls for him to come in and he does so.

He timidly steps inside and glances around the room. It looked no different than the office belonging to his Captain. The only apparent difference was the posters of Chinese characters on the eastern wall.

"Come in." She repeats. "And shut the door."

He nods and does as he is told. She sets the pen and paper she held to her right and offers him a small smile. He returns a smile and begins to feel more at ease.

"Hanataro… Do you know what today is?"

The young healer looks away and his cheeks turn a light shade of red. The woman before him reaches for the golden card upon her desk. Upon its cover was a lovely drawing of a bumblebee nestling on the head of a sleepy sloth.

Her lips curl into a smile and she opens the card to read its contents.

"Quick and nimble. You are faster than light. Strong and powerful. Your spirit holds unbridled might. Stern yet caring. You always push for what is true. Captain Soifon… I love you."

The shade of red upon his cheeks deepens.

"Do you… like it?"

He reluctantly looks up and nearly jumps back upon realizing how close she is to him now.

She completes her hug before he does so and lets out a small laugh.

"I love it."

It takes a moment or two for him to break out of his shock and return the hug in earnest.

The moment between them eventually ends with Soifon pulling away.

"Hanataro." She looks him in the eyes.

"Ye-yes?"

"I want to see you later."

"You want me to visit you at home?"

She nods.

"Okay… after work... I promise to be there."

He smiles.

-0-

The sun is setting.

Hanataro decides to head over to the Fon Estate with the treats he baked.

He comes across Rukia on his way there and they begin to walk together for a while.

"You baked those for Captain Soifon?"

Hanataro nods and raises the blue box he holds. "Uh-huh. I baked them for her birthday a few days ago."

Rukia grins widely and gently elbows him in the arm.

"Now you're baking them for Valentine's Day! Oooohhh!" A laugh escapes her as she notices the deepening shade of red upon the young healer's cheeks. "I'm glad things are working out for the two of you. And the cookies smell great!"

The young healer comes to a stop and extends the box towards Rukia. "Would you like one?"

She comes to a stop as well and looks at him with surprise. "Are you sure?"

He nods. "Of course! I made plenty."

He pops open the box. The gentle scent of butter and sugar brush against her nose and her mouth begins to water. She reaches for a cookie and gently grips one. The warmth radiating from the golden baked treat causes her fingers to tingle and her mouth to water even more.

She takes a bite and nearly falls over.

"Ru-Rukia! Are you-"

"Mmm! Please make more of these!" She squeals before quickly finishing her cookie. "Please please please please make more of these!"

"O-okay… would you like another?"

"N-no! I might end up eating the whole box!" She shakes her head furiously before quickly hugging Hanataro. "Thanks! Make more of those cookies! I have to go see Yoruichi. Good luck on your date! And make more of those cookies!"

She quickly runs past him after that and disappears down the street.

-0-

He arrives at the Fon Estate and is greeted by Mizutani. The young man escorts the young healer through the Estate and to a guest room.

"Soifon is busy preparing dinner for you. She wants you to wait here while she sets everything up."

"Okay. Thank you."

The young man offers him a genuine smile. "No problem."

-0-

Everything is complete. Soifon quickly moves to retrieve Hanataro.

She greets him with a gentle hug and guides him to her room. Upon entering, he immediately catches sight of the balcony table and all the foods upon it, a sight which prompts his stomach to rumble. Soifon gently laughs and moves to hug him again.

"This is all for us."

He returns the hug in earnest and pulls away before extending the blue box towards her.

"And this is for you."

-0-

They chat and eat.

An hour or so passes before nearly all of the food is gone.

"Hanataro."

The young healer ceases drinking from his teacup to give her his undivided attention. She rises for her seat and motions for him to follow her. They reenter her room and she makes her way to a drawer. Hanataro watches as she pulls out a stack of paper and calligraphy materials.

"Soifon?"

She turns to face him. "Take a seat." She points at a small table to her left. Hanataro takes a seat on one of the mats surrounding it and watches as Soifon does the same. She sets the materials she held upon the table and straightens herself.

"Hanataro. I want to teach you the language of my House: the mandarin Chinese dialect."

He nods.

The fact that she and her family knew Chinese was of no surprise to Hanataro since Soifon had mentioned her family history to him on several occasions. This was -however- the first time she had offered to teach him any Chinese.

"You wrote my name in Japanese… but do you know what it looks like in Chinese?"

He shakes his head. She reaches for a calligraphy brush and a sheet of paper. She dips the brush in ink and writes: Suì-Fēng (砕 蜂)

She shows the paper to Hanataro and lightly taps it with her index finger.

"This is how it looks in pinyin and this is how it looks in mandarin characters. This is how it sounds: Suì-Fēng."

"Soifon? Like that?"

She smiles.

"Close enough. Now… I want to start you out with a simple character…" Soifon then reaches for another sheet of paper. She dips the brush in ink again and writes a simple character: 我 (wǒ [whoa] = me or I)

She lifts the brush and turns the paper towards Hanataro.

"Wó?"

She smiles gently and shakes her head. "Wǒ. Do you see that thing over the 'o'?"

He looks at the paper and nods. "That tells me how to say it… right?"

"Correct. That means you say it with the third tone. Your voice goes down and then up."

"Alright…" He stares at the paper for a moment. "W ō?"

"Wǒ."

He looks away and scratches the back of his neck. "This is kinda tough."

"I know. It takes practice in order to get the tones just right. Just listen to my voice: wǒ."

"Wò."

"Close! Now… try that again and bring your voice back up."

"Alright… Wǒ?"

She smiles and claps. "Yes. Can you do it again?"

"Wǒ?"

She nods and he smiles.

"I did it right?"

"Yes. Now…" She takes another sheet and writes another character: 你 (nǐ [nee] = you)

"Okay. So I have to say it with the third tone? Up and down?"

"Down and up. You can do it."

"Alright… Can you say it as an example?"

"Of course: Nǐ."

"NÌ. Wait! Ummm…"

"Take your time… Nǐ..."

He closes his eyes and starts mumbling: "NÌ… NÌ… NÍ…? NÌ… Nǐ… Nǐ…"

"You got it!"

"Nǐ?"

"Yes." She lets out a gentle laugh and reaches for another sheet of paper. "You are doing very well." She writes another character: 也 (yě [yay] = also or as well)

"Let me start you off: Yě."

"Yě? Yě!"

"Good job! You got it on your first try!" She takes another sheet of paper and writes another character: 爱 (ài [eye] = … )

Hanataro frowns as he stares at the paper. "What is this tone?"

"The thing over the 'a' is the fourth tone. This tone goes down and does not come back up. Like this: Ài."

"Ài. Like that?"

"Exactly." She offers him a smile.

"But what does it mean?"

"It is a connecter."

"A connecter?"

She pulls out another sheet of paper and writes out three characters: 我 爱 你

"This is how a sentence with these three characters would look like. Wǒ ài nǐ. Do you think you can say it perfectly?"

He nods enthusiastically. "Of course."

"I know you can. Wǒ ài nǐ."

"Alright… Wò… wǒ… ài… nǐ! Wǒ ài nǐ!"

She gently laughs at his enthusiasm and gives him a round of applause. "Good job! I knew you could do it." Her claps slowly fade to silence as she rises from her seat.

"Hanataro."

He watches her with curiosity. A slight ting of redness can be seen upon her cheeks.

"Soifon?"

She looks away from the young healer to prevent him from seeing her reddening face.

"Come here."

He rises to his feet and cautiously walks towards her. He slows to a halt with a little less than a foot between them. She breathes deeply before turning to face him. She reaches out to him and gently pulls him closer. Their eyes lock.

"…Hanataro…"

His face reddens and he feels the urge to hide his face... yet those lovely grey eyes of hers refuse to release him.

"Soi-Soifon?"

"Can you say it again?"

His mouth opens to speak. Seconds pass with nothing but air coming out.

"For me?"

His mouth closes and he begins to regain his composure. He nods and takes a deep breath.

"Wǒ ài nǐ."

Perfect. Just for her.

She smiles and pulls his face closer to hers. The kiss is brief.

The warmth it filled them with lingers.

She wraps her arms around him.

"Wǒ yě ài nǐ."

He wraps his arms around her.

-Notes-

This story takes place in the February following the conclusion of the parent story and the defeat of Aizen.

Notes on wǒ ài nǐ: .com/Say-Love-in-Chinese

Corrections are welcome.