Blood and Sweat [Closed]

Being asked to spar with a former Captain Commander was not something J would have ever turned down. It did not matter what he was doing at the time, J stopped and went on with Tsubine von Zarkonheinz on this day. Five quick hours of steel clashing against steel went by. Dirt and sweat covered their bodies. Small bits of blood trickled from tiny cuts each had been able to lay on the other. J was determined to give this his all and he had. He was exhausted at this point. The mere concentration was enough to wipe him out. Tsubine was highly skilled and J could not let down his guard for the slightest moment or he'd risk failure. In that concentration and that intense focus, the two shared a final attempt and neither could land the needed blow to call themselves the victor.

The bell rung and their battle ended. J lowered his sword and sheathed it as Tsubine did. It was over, but damn was that sparing session exhilarating. As he let go of the hilt, J felt many beads of swear falling down his face. His hair was soaked from the workout. Worth. He stepped to Tsubine and took his hand. "It was an honor to spar with you as well. I may have kept up, but it took a lot of focus to do so. I've learned a lot from this, thank you for this opportunity." J shook Tsubine's hand, catching his breath, and then let go of Tsubine's hand as a he heard the claps begin. He looked around with an eyebrow raised and then looked to Tsubine. "I did not realize we had an audience." J said. He noticed Maaya had been watching and felt a prouder at his success. He'd not want to lose in front of her.

"I would like to treat you to a drink or something that could help both of us recover from such a spar. I do not know what you would prefer, but before we do go, I wish to greet Maaya." J motioned over to Kaminari after that, "You might want to say hello to your wife as well. She and quite a few of your friends, even former Captain Antonovich are here. So please excuse me." J bowed respectfully to Tsubine and then walked off toward Maaya, Kazuo, Kaii, Erina, and Joshua. Erina must have brought him along, likely against his will. He nodded to most, but looked to Maaya and Kazuo to actually converse with. "That was more of a work out than I expected. Did you enjoy watching the spar?" J asked Maaya and then looked to Kazuo, "What are you doing here? Aren't you busy today?"

J closed his eyes as Maaya pat the sweat from his face. When she handed him the towel, he opened them, leaned in, and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "Thank you, Maaya." There was a certain cheer in J's voice. It wasn't obvious, but people who knew him well could tell he was happy. When Kazuo hit his back, Kazuo's hand was met with a lot of sweat. J just raised an eyebrow, waiting for Kazuo's reaction. Apparently Kazuo thought it okay to wipe his hand on the towel Maaya had given him. Oh well. J was in one hell of a good mood right now and there was very little that could change that. "Thank you, Kazuo. I would have, you're right. I am merely surprised the same sentiment was done here and curious about how the word got out..." J shrugged casually, speaking a lot lighter than he normally did and looked to Maaya, "The Former Captain-Commander and I will be heading out for an after battle drink. I might be a little late, I do not know. Don't wait up for me, okay?" He gave her a kiss on the forehead and nodded to his brother before walking off to wait by the gate for Tsubine.

"Nyah!" Kaminari held her arms out to him as he kissed her and pulled him in like an excited child. She immediately regretted it when she realized how sweaty he was. "Ew, ew, ew... That was smart of me. Don't care!" She leaned into him again and held on while he spoke to the other two. Before they got the chance to reply, she gasped and looked up to him. She flicked his nose. "Don't you apologize for that!" "Yeah, don't." "There is nothing wrong with it. The baby will be coming soon and all of the affection will be turned away from me to this little one..." Kaminari pat her belly and smiled up at him, "I need to get as much as I can now before that happens." "Anyways!" Lilith spoke up, "Nice job out there. You guys both held back and went at full strength; it was an impressive display." "It was quite enjoyable to watch. Very exciting. I'm surprised half the Gotei didn't show up." "They kind of did..."

J did not understand the pull away. She held it back, but he could tell her reluctance at first. It took him a second to realize the sweat wasn't attractive to her. Noted. He went over to wait for Tsubine and once the man came over, Tsubine pointed out something that J should have realized. He hadn't really cared, but it was probably best for them to go clean up first. J nodded, "There is a bar and grill near the Eastern Gate called Jackal's Pub. I haven't been there before, but I've heard many of the men in my Division talking about it. Apparently it's very popular. How about we meet there an hour from now?"

Once J got his confirmation, he bowed and then shunpo'd away. He hurried home and made sure to clean himself up. He washed the hell out of his hair and returned to his normal uniform, throwing off the Captain's cloak though. He left the manor at the forty minute mark and hurried on to the location the two agreed on. J's hair was still a little wet, but dried by the time he arrived. When he did, he realized he was alone and early, which is what he planned. He sat outside, arms crossed, and leaned against a wall. He ignored the onlookers that were able to recognize him and waited for Tsubine there.

J sensed Tsubine approaching and turned to greet him. He nodded back to Tsubine's wave and stood straight. "I thought waiting would be more polite." J said and followed Tsubine in. There were immediately a lot of eyes on them. The moment they entered, the majority of people were starstruck. "I knew it would be popular, but I did not think there would be this many. The women here..." J took a second look around and realized a lot of the women were half naked as they served what was mostly men. "This establishment is odd." J stated bluntly. He felt a shiver and quickly became uneasy.

"Former Captain Commander Tsubine von Zarkonheinz... I believe this place is popular for all the w-..." J was cut off by a feminine voice. His body completely tensed and his eyes widened when he realized there was a strange woman clinging to his arm. "Well hey there, cutie pie... Haven't seen you here before." Within a moment of this, he felt two hands on his back and saw another woman behind him. Around the same time, Tsubine would also get the same treatment, but with a rather different greeting. "I take it you're wanting a break from the lady back home? We'll treat you right here, darlin'"

"We have places like this in the Seireitei!?" J looked to Tsubine in complete shock, an emotion that many would pay to see him express. The girls began getting closer, causing J to try and get away, but they had the grips of women hired for this job. In other words, these were rich and handsome men who they did not want to let get away. J's first failed attempts to pry himself away from them caused him to mentally freak out. He couldn't be caught here. What would his Division say? What would the Head Captain say? What would Kazuo say? And most importantly, what would his beloved Maaya think of him if she ever found out he came here!? He couldn't have it! "What do we do!?" he said, panicked.

Tsubine was the opposite of J in this situation. J felt awkward because of the women's behavior. He did not entirely understand their motives or what this place was. He just knew it wasn't some place he wanted to be and that the men in his Division liked it for reasons that were less than appropriate. He was also on edge about being around Tsubine as well, so that did not help his ability to keep calm. Tsubine on the other hand got angry and threatened the girls. J wasn't one to get angry that easily either. These women had not hurt him, nor had they dishonored him in some way. However, their words to Tsubine made J understand why he reacted as harshly as he did. In fact, realizing this helped him calm down and regain his composure. When Tsubine spoke directly to J, his demeanor went back to normal. "I do not have that information memorized. Why do you ask?" J questioned curiously.

J was surprised at Tsubine's willingness to threaten these girls. Most people would worry about the consequences of doing that, but his wife was the Captain Commander, so the likelihood of Tsubine being punished was low. Seeing the women take him seriously allowed J to feel comfortable with copying Tsubine's methods. "These women are a little too insistent and their implications have been offensive and very inappropriate." J looked to the women holding onto him, "It would be ashamed if a work related injury kept them from continuing their oh so successful careers." All of the women seemed to take the hint. Once they left, J took a deep breath and then turned to Tsubine. "I followed your lead. That was an uncomfortable situation. Let's try and find another place. I need a drink."

J stepped out of the pub and sort of shuddered. He felt like he needed a shower again. "I'm not sure of any other place we could find. I don't ever go out either. I know there are places around here, but nothing specific. Would you like to walk around and see if we can find something with a better reputation than this house of waste?" J waited for Tsubine's answer and would go along with his choice. However, wherever they walked, J would be silent for a while, obviously thinking about something. If Tsubine asked, he'd speak up. If Tsubine did not, J would speak up after about five minutes of silent walking anyway. "Seeing that you and the Captain Commander have gotten to where you are... Do you mind if I ask you about something? I'd talk to my brother about it, but he's less experienced than I am in the matters of women." When and if he's given permission to ask, "How can you tell when a woman loves you... that way? And how can you tell whether you feel the same way about them?"

"So that is how it was for you and the Captain Commander... I cannot say I am surprised. There were some instances of my own Division thinking you moved quickly, but I don't think the entire Seireitei knows about the pregnancy. It's honorable, marrying for the sake of your child. Anyone who looks at either of you can tell that you love each other. The first time I noticed that difference in Kami-... Excuse me, the Captain Commander, I was surprised. Even I could see it? I am a novice in the aspect of social encounters and worse at reading people in matters of the heart. I often have to ask Kazuo, but not that time. I could just tell." J explained his thoughts with a tone of admiration, "I do wonder if Maaya and I will have something like that one day. I care deeply for her and I think I love her, but I do not know how to tell. I've never experienced a relationship before now, so I'm still learning."

"And wear a condom..." J actually chuckled a bit at this, "I do not mean to pry, but that implies you did not with Kaminari and raises another question for the sake of my own romantic ignorance... When do you choose to go about that action? Does it just happen or do you have a set plan? Also... I do apologize if these questions are too personal. I can stop. I will not as my brother about them. That is something I'd rather know some of the answers to when he decides to go that route."

"She looks at me like that? How can you even tell? That's the kind of stuff I don't notice easily." The rest of this conversation had J stone faced. He wasn't exactly shy or embarrassed, but just a bit uncomfortable. It wasn't Tsubine's fault, but the fact that he couldn't figure out his own position. It angered him. Then Tsubine had to mention Maaya wanting to "make him hers" in that manner. J clenched his jaw and he glanced off. A few fun and inappropriate images popped into his mind. He quickly shook them off and turned to Tsubine, listening to the advice this man had for him. "Of course. You're among those I am okay with calling me by my first name. Your wife, however, is not." J said that bluntly, but there was something else behind it. "Anyways, continue on." J signalled politely.

When Tsubine finished, J found himself staring at the ground and thinking deeply about what was just said. Maaya could already want that? Really? Why wouldn't she say that? Or hint at it... J was so bad at this. "I wonder if I should just as-..." J was suddenly stopped by a light post. He hadn't been paying attention so bang. When he stepped back from it, his face a little red, he contemplated cutting it down with his Zanpakutō right then and there. Instead, he turned to Tsubine with a serious expression that couldn't be taken to serious because of the fat red mark across his face. "You saw nothing." he said and then sighed, "This is turning out to be an interesting day. I thank you for your wisdom, Former Captain Commander. It is appreciated and will be taken into account. However, I do not know when."

J then pointed behind Tsubine. "It seems we have passed a possible destination." J pointed to a bar that was immediately noticed to have a much better reputation. J started over and went inside. He looked around. "No women." was the first thing he noted to Tsubine and then walked over to a high table with two stools, "Do they come to us or do we go to the counter?" In that moment, a man came up to them and asked for their order. "I'll have what he's having. I don't usually drink, so I'll follow your lead."

"Appreciated." J replied to both the ability to call him by his first name and the secret of him walking into a pole being kept that way. J took a deep breath and suddenly put a hand over his face. "Agh. Damn it. That hurts." he said. If this were a cartoon, that read mark across his face would be glowing in and out to show it's painful pulse. After a moment of recovery, the two made it into a nice bar that they could agree to sit in and talk. They ordered their drinks and Tsubine asked about Maaya. He seemed to think on the question for a few moments. "In the incident, she lost a brother who cared for her... Maaya, unfortunately, did not have a good relationship with her family. They treated her horribly and the only reason that incident happened is because her Mother is a selfish fool who thought I should have chosen her oldest daughter... At least that is my theory... As for Maaya..." J sighed.

"During the incident, she allowed her emotions over her lost brother to cloud her mind. She experienced a very violent outburst and killed her sister. She thought I would be angry with her and chose to keep this information from me. I was not angry, of course. I understood that rage, but I did not appreciate being lied to. For Captain Hayashi to know something that occurred on my property before me or my brother... That is what angered me. I still do not fully understand Maaya's reasoning for keeping this secret... Since then, she's been sweeter and kinder than usual. I believe she thinks she has to butter me up, which is wrong. She's earned enough points that even if some were lost, she'd still have won the game. I can't stay mad at her. The anger was gone within half an hour."