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She racked her mind again, determined to get them right. Three words. Not just three words, three words she wanted to hear. She didn't want her to give up or ignore her and it wasn't a riddle. Had anything significant happened since Carlotta had caught up to her earlier today? She would be really sore if it was something from a week ago or something. They had met each other's Captains. Captain Osamerukami as well. Then they had an intense training session, like always. That always got both of them excited. Her Zanpakuto was acting a bit strange, but she thought nothing of it. They had come to the showers which were empty, though since their numbers had significantly dwindled since the war that shouldn't have been surprising. They were both about to go into the showers and then Carlotta had expressed her feelings towards her. That was a significant moment. Then... she shuddered in memory of the events afterwards.

"Um."

Did she want to hear "You brighten my day"?

That's how she felt when she was around Carlotta.

No. That was too long no matter how she put it.

Did she want to hear "You're so strong"?

That feeling about Carlotta was always reinforced after a spar. Maybe that was it. She certainly had power over her right now. Though she knew it in her heart, she didn't usually say it a lot. She was perfectly willing to surrender to her.

"Uh!"

That came out more like a frustrated groan than a distressed grunt.

"Car you're beautiful"? "You aren't hated"?

She was beautiful. Kamiko couldn't deny it. She didn't know why she was so fixated on her scars, but she was. It made her body a unique work of art. It was like a tattoo, but somehow more... romantic? She had never seen a body so fascinating. Not that she had seen many bodies.

Semi-Mature Content:

Carlotta had so many incredible qualities. She had processed these thoughts over the course of seconds. Though she had only been thinking of these responses, she had also been mouthing them all in an almost but not quite inaudible tone. She finally had an answer. This wasn't like those other answers she had subconsciously muttered under her breath. This was clear and confident.

"Car... you're perfect."

She was sure that she had the right answer in the way that a deranged serial killer was sure that his actions were dictated by a higher power.

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"Um"

Come on Kamiko, you can do it. Just three little words. Carlotta had said them when she confessed.

"Uh"

Come on, come on. Carlotta held her smirk as her lover struggled. Her smile only grew as Kamiko opened her mouth to speak.

"Car...you're perfect."

Her smile faded. Those weren't the words she wanted to hear. But, she did like those words, so she would give it to Kamiko.

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"Hmm...no...sorry...those aren't the words I was looking for."

Kamiko had been so sure of herself.

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"I really like you, Car."

She had a warm smile on her face. She hadn't just said she was perfect to get off. She really believed it. Not in the way of having no faults, of course. Her faults complemented her shining points though.

"What was the answer anyway?"

She was really curious.

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"I really like you, Car."

There they were, albeit not in the way she wanted to hear them, but there they were. Those were the words that Carlotta wanted to hear. Surprisingly, as if Kamiko didn't even realize she had said what Car had wanted, she asked a question.

"What was the answer anyway?"

Carlotta's smile grew back as she leaned forward and gently planted a kiss onto Kamiko's lips.

"You just said what I wanted to hear you idiot."

She didn't say it to be mean, she said it in an almost endearing way. The way a lover would joke with their lover, which at this point, her and Kamiko must have been.

Carlotta's had begun her answer with a kiss.

"You just said what I wanted to hear you idiot."

Kamiko had paused in contemplation. That's how this had all started hadn't it? Full circle. She smiled sheepishly.

Her mind was racing. There were a lot of things she wanted to say but there were only two things she wanted to do.

"I could really use that shower right now but I so tired."

She had whined through that last part.

Carlotta smiled as her lover; she didn't care anymore, she saw Kamiko as her lover, and she would have her as that, forever and always; whined about being tired.

"I know, I'm tired too. Why don't we head off to bed and we can shower in the morning?"

She stood up and started to walk towards her clothes so she could check the time. It was now nearly 9 at night. They had been in here for nearly 2 hours. She turned back to Kamiko and would ask her a question.

"Hey it's really late. Would you mind if I slept with you tonight?"

"I know, I'm tired too. Why don't we head off to bed and we can shower in the morning?"

She sighed as she felt her skin peel off of the floor.

As she yawned through an alright, she was surprised by the next thing she had said.

"Hey it's really late. Would you mind if I slept with you tonight?"

She shouldn't have been embarrassed about something so innocuous considering what they had just done, but she couldn't help herself. It was so intimate; it was the way lovers slept. Then again, that's what they were now, weren't they? She wanted to ask where their relationship would go from here, but decided it was a conversation better suited for when she was more wide awake. Something about the question was familiar. She didn't see how it could be a problem.

"Um, sure."

By then she had finished tying up her shihakusho into a loose knot. Her panties were stuffed into her pocket.

"Do you know the way?"

"Um, sure."

Carlotta smiled and ran over to Kamiko, planting a kiss on her lover's lips. She had planned to end things here as she was tired from all the fun they had today.

"Yay, a sleepover. I don't remember the last time we had one of these."

Despite the nature of their new relationship, Carlotta was still immature and would continue to be immature. Carlotta started to dress herself, just putting on her top and not bothering with her skirt. Her top, when undone, was more than enough to cover her body.

"Do you know the way?"

Carlotta was struck with confusion. Of course she knew the way to Kamiko's room. She had spent the night here on many an occasion. However, to humor Kamiko, she decided she would feign idiocy.

"No, I forgot the way. Probably because I'm so tired."

"Yay, a sleepover. I don't remember the last time we had one of these."

Kamiko couldn't either. It had to have been before the war at the latest so it would have at least been months. Carlotta had slept over many times in the past. Kamiko was surprised that Carlotta still didn't know the way, fully falling for her guise.

The walk to the barracks was surprisingly quiet. Things had been a lot more quiet since the war. The 7th Division had taken heavy casualties. Night had fallen but it was still quite early. Seeing her Division like this was spooky and it didn't help her preexisting fear of the dark. She attempted to shake these feelings. What, were ghosts going to attack her in the dark? Still, her shoulders were hunched in stress.

She smiled as they walked to Kamiko's room. Carlotta hadn't been there since before the war, so she knew it would look a little different, but she hoped not too different. She would have kept her smile if she didn't see that Kamiko was walking with a slouch. Of course. Carlotta had forgotten that she had a slight fear of the dark. She ran over to her lover and gave her a little kiss on the cheek.

"Hey, Kamiko. No need to be afraid. I'm here for you. You know that." She would wrap her arms around her friend, giving her a tight hug. "I'll always be here for you. In fact, when we get to your room, I have a question I want to ask you."

She had been distracted from her fear by the smaller girl's lips on her cheek and her anxiety melted away with Carlotta's hands around her.

"Hey, Kamiko. No need to be afraid. I'm here for you. You know that. I'll always be here for you. In fact, when we get to your room, I have a question I want to ask you."

"Hmm?"

Kamiko was now really curious.

As they made it back to her room, Kamiko began to light candles with her reiatsu. Then, she got under the covers of her bed with a yawn, not even bothering to take off her shihakusho.

"Car, what was that thing you wanted?"

Kamiko's voice was breathy and her eyes were lidded as she fought off the blissful clutches of sleep.

"Car, what was it you wanted?"

Carlotta wanted a lot of things. But for now she had only one thing on her mind. She noticed as Kamiko had gotten into her bed she was fighting off the staves of dreamland and, hopefully with Carlotta's next sentence, and gesture, she would figure it out, as well as be woken up. She slowly got down on one knee, directly in front of Kamiko's bed.

"Well, tonight has made me realize something. I don't like you Kamiko." She intentionally paused so she could see Kamiko's reaction and take a deep breath to work up her courage. "I don't. But, I can say this. I love you. More than anyone I have ever met, or ever will meet. So, if you couldn't tell from my posture, I have a question I need to ask you. But first, I apologize for not having a ring." She took another deep breath and cleared her throat. "Kamiko Kago. 7th seat of the seventh division. We have been friends for about 40 years now and, while that may not seem very long for souls like us, it was a lifetime for me, and I hope it was for you as well. I, Carlotta Alflatt, Lieutenant of second division, wish to take your hand in marriage."

With that she stood up and slowly walked over to her lover and planted a gentle kiss on her lips. That's when her immaturity returned.

"So, what do you say? Wanna get hitched?"

"I don't like you Kamiko."

"Huh?"

This had woken her up a bit. More accurately, it had hit her like a ton of bricks. Suddenly, she had felt used. Her mouth simply hung open.

"I don't. But, I can say this. I love you. More than anyone I have ever met, or ever will meet. So, if you couldn't tell from my posture, I have a question I need to ask you. But first, I apologize for not having a ring."

A ring? She noticed her stance. She couldn't. She couldn't possibly.

"Kamiko Kago. 7th seat of the seventh division. We have been friends for about 40 years now and, while that may not seem very long for souls like us, it was a lifetime for me, and I hope it was for you as well. I, Carlotta Alflatt, Lieutenant of second division, wish to take your hand in marriage."

"...Oh my...Car!"

Her hand was pressed against her beating heart. The elbow of this same arm was propping her up.

Carlotta had leaned into her and kissed her.

"So, what do you say? Wanna get hitched?"

At first, she wasn't sure what her answer was. She wasn't even sure if they could get married. She didn't even know if she wanted marriage. She hadn't even thought about it much.

"I... I need to think!"

Carlotta had the benefit of having time to think this out. Kamiko had been bombarded with it. She couldn't even think straight.

Carlotta smiled as she saw Kamiko stammer after her question. She had expected this reaction, so it wasn't that much of a surprise for her. What was a surprise was Kamiko's answer.

"I...I need to think!"

Of course she needed to think. Carlotta was willing to give her time. She didn't expect an answer right now, or even tomorrow. She would let Kamiko answer at her own pace.

"Of course you do Kamiko. And that's fine."

She would crawl her way into the bed with her new lover. It was a small fit, but it was able to fit them both.

"Good night Kamiko."

She would plant another kiss on the lips of her lover and drift off to sleep.

[EXIT THREAD]

"Of course you do Kamiko. And that's fine."

Kamiko had let out a sigh of relief. She knew she needed an answer, but she had time to decide.

Carlotta had found her own way into bed.

"Good night Kamiko."

Carlotta had given her a kiss good night and then she had fallen asleep. She looked so peaceful.

Kamiko had decided that  she would do the same. After her long day, her bed felt like heaven. She was looking forward to a long rest to offset it.

"Night, Car."

She didn't care that she probably hadn't heard her as she was finally successfully pulled into the darkness.

[THREAD EXIT]