It was a normal weekend for Carlotta. She had finished her paperwork early and, as per usual, had run off to the 7th division to train with her good friend Kago Kamiko. They would normally do this because Carlotta, being a Lieutenant class, albeit of another division, was one of the best fighters in the Gotei, possibly on par with the current Kenpachi in battle skills alone. She was noticing it was getting late, and as they had been training since 4, and it was now around 7, they were both covered in sweat. Carlotta herself had her Shihakusho sticking to her body.

"Ok Kago. I think that's it for today."

She would sheated her blade into the sheath that she kept on her back. She then started to walk towards her friend to give her a little hug. "You are getting better each session. Perhaps one day you might be better than me."

She was panting heavily. She was drenched in sweat. She was fatigued. Kamiko had just finished a training session with Carlotta Alflatt, Lieutenant of the Second Division. They had trained together a lot since they had become friends. She could feel herself improving with each battle. She had managed to make a lieutenant break a sweat. She was surprised when Carlotta had sheathed her blade. Kamiko had let the time get away from her. In response, she had sheathed her own blade vertically on her back. As her friend approached her to give her a hug, she reciprocated it.

"You are getting better each session. Perhaps one day you might be better than me."

Kamiko didn't respond. She was so flattered and yet, she found it hard to believe her. She really just wanted to become powerful enough to offset her handicap. She remembered wanting to become a lieutenant before the war. That was never about power or improvement though. It was more like a cry for attention. She felt her heart twinge. A cry for attention from her late Captain. She felt a little bit embarrassed for having had such a shallow reason. She also felt a weight in her heart because he had never seen her reach Lieutenant. Her face flushed a bit as her head drooped. It was only then as she felt a chill from her wet clothing that she began to notice her sweat soaked robes hanging off of her body. Her body and Carlotta's. She felt dirty.

She began to walk away from the elder shinigami.

"Let's go get cleaned up. I feel icky."

Her tone showed a lack of energy.

Carlotta would frown as she noticed her friend bow her head and grow a sad expression. Not caring about their sweaty bodies and their sweaty clothes, she would walk over to her and wrap her arms around her friend.

"Kago, no need to be sad. You know you can talk to me about anything."

After her sentence she would gently kiss Kago's forehead, again not caring about their sweaty bodies. She heard Kago mention that she felt icky, and Carlotta agreed.

"Would you mind if I used your barrack's showers? I don't want to have to run all the way to 2nd division in all this sweat."

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Suddenly, she felt Carlotta's arms around her.

"Kago, no need to be sad. You know you can talk to me about anything."

She dotted her sentence with a kiss on the forehead. Was she that transparent? She didn't want to burden Carlotta with the silly crush that she should have gotten over by now. She tried to change her expression to a more content one, but the tone of her voice still remained the same. While she was very good at controlling her Reiatsu, she couldn't say the same about her energy level.

"No, really. It's nothing."

"Would you mind if I used your barrack's showers? I don't want to have to run all the way to 2nd division in all this sweat."

"Huh? Oh, um, sure."

She didn't think anyone would mind. A good shower was just what she needed. Maybe it would help her clear her head.

She wouldn't hear Kago's response on Carlotta telling her that she could tell her anything. But she wouldn't really care either way. What she did hear was Kago saying that she could use the showers here, instead of Carlotta having to run all the way to 2nd division in her sweaty clothes. Smiling she would plant another kiss on Kago's forehead and, grabbing her hand, drag her to the showers. Carlotta knew the location of the women's showers due to the fact she had been there before. She also remembered that they had an open air bath.

"Come on, lets' go."

She would drag her friend into the showers and noticing there was no one else inside, she would secretly lock the door so there would be no...interruptions.

Carlotta seemed to be in a hurry to the showers. Of course, the reason was obvious, but she was still surprised by her urgency. She was also surprised that she knew the way. As she was dragged into the room, she noticed that no one else was there. As she preferred bathing alone, she was glad to see this. Of course, she didn't mind being here with Carlotta. She didn't make her feel... inferior. Once she had reached her locker with a change of clothes, she began to disrobe with her back turned to Carlotta. "Oh! Do you have a change of clothes?" The thought hadn't even occurred to her until she had already lost her top.

After locking the door and somewhat watching Kago get undressed, she had heard a question being asked. Something about a change of clothes.

"Of course I have a change of clothes."

She would walk over and reach her hand behind the lockers where she pulled out an outfit exactly like the one she was wearing, skirt and all.

"I put these there the last time I was here. Figured it would come in handy."

Smiling at Kago she would start to undress, not even bothering to turn her back to Kago as she had no care about letting Kago seeing her naked. As she started to undress, her multitude of scars became visible. These scars were memories of past battles, wins and losses. The biggest of these scars ran from the bottom of her neck all the way down the front of her body, ending just above her crotch, which was still covered by her blue and white striped panties.

By this point, Kamiko was in the same state of undress as Carlotta. She even had the same panties. She was hesitant to take off her bandage in front of the Lieutenant. It wasn't so much that she was afraid of what she would think. She just felt really insecure about it. It was gross and she wasn't sure if she wanted Carlotta to see her this way. Part of the reason she chose a stylized adhesive instead of normal black eyepatch was to offset the marring nature of her injury. She had turned around to the other girl to warn her first and was surprised with what she saw. Terrible scars littered her body. One scar in particular was especially prominent as it ran from her neck to her belly. The hand that had been over her left eye had migrated to her mouth as if it was all that was stopping her from screaming as she flinched in shock. Her other hand was over her belly as an empathetic pang of pain struck her suddenly. She didn't mean to overreact like this, she was just so surprised. To think that she felt insecure about her simple eye-hole.

She had noticed that Kago was a little hesitant on removing her eye patch, and upon seeing Carlotta's scarred body she would put her hand over her mouth. That was usually how everyone reacted, no matter how many times people saw her, she always had new scars, usually from training with her zanpakuto.

She would slowly walk over to her friend and slowly pull her hand away from her mouth. "It's ok. You can say what you want. These scars are a part of me." She would then remove Kago's adhesive eye patch. "Just like this is a part of you. And I wouldn't change either one if I had the chance." She then would wrap her arms around her half naked form and hold their equally naked bodies close together, a smile on her face.

As Carlotta approached her, she wasn't sure what she should do. She never could have imagined this. Then, Carlotta forced her hand away from her mouth.

"It's ok. You can say what you want. These scars are a part of me."

That was something she admired about Carlotta. She was so... confident. Whether talking to her Captain or about her scars, she showed no hesitation, no reluctance, no repression. She wished that she could be like her. She was fearless. Not just that, she always seemed to know where she going and not just in the physical sense. When her Captain had died, she had felt lost for weeks. It was only with Chijogo's help that she had been willing to go back to duty so soon and even then, she hadn't fully recovered in any sense. When she was with Carlotta, she could just follow her and be confident that she was on the right path. Her hand came up to remove her eye patch. Kamiko's heart rate increased as Carlotta's hand inched closer to her left eye. She wasn't sure if she was deliberately not trying to make any sudden movements since she was sensitive about her missing eye or if she was imagining the moment happening in slow motion. Now, they had reached the point of no return as Carlotta had moved her hand away. She was desperate to know what Carlotta would think. What would her only friend think?

"Just like this is a part of you. And I wouldn't change either one if I had the chance."

Then, Carlotta embraced her and gave the most sincere smile. They hugged a lot, often playfully, but this was something else. Here they were bared before each other each with their own scars. Carlotta thought she was perfect the way she was... and Kamiko thought the same thing about her. When she saw her scars, the feeling that she felt wasn't disgust or horror. It was sympathy. How could she have possibly endured so much? She knew that she would never have been able to do the same. The stories they could tell didn't detract from her body, it enhanced it. She had always felt ruined since the war so Carlotta's words meant a lot to her. Tears started to well from her eyes, as hard as she tried to fight them. She wasn't going to cry again. That was behind her. Even as they threatened to spill over, she was determined to not spare even a drop.

"Car... Thank you..."

Her voice trembled and she began to sniffle as she returned her hug with twice the intensity. Her fingers explored the scars of Carlotta's back.

Carlotta would hold her smile, especially when she felt her friend match her hug with even greater intensity. She heard Kago thank her, which only caused Carlotta's smile to get even bigger. She then felt her start to explore the multitude of scars that were on her back and, not really caring about that, would gently pull her head out of Kago's shoulder and do something she had never done before. She planted a kiss on Kago's lips. Nothing too big, just a simple kiss. She knew what a kiss meant, but she had never done it before so she was inexperienced in this world.

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Suddenly, Carlotta pulled her head back and then she did something unexpected: she kissed her. This wasn't a peck on the cheek or a kiss on the forehead, but one on the lips. Carlotta had stolen her first kiss and left Kamiko's face flushed. She didn't mind though. It felt kind of nice and it gave her butterflies in her stomach. She didn't know what to do next and yet at the same time she couldn't just ignore what happened. Suddenly, she felt very aware of the fact that they were both half naked. Both of her hands were at her sides now. She simply stared her friend in the eye as she looked inside of herself for the words that expressed her feelings. She started to half mouth words in the process. Only one of them was audible:

She would smile at her friend after the kiss. She didn't know if it was Kago's first kiss or not, all she knew was that the feeling she had right now was a happy feeling. Something she rarely got to experience. If it wasn't her drunken idiot of a captain, it was Shikko causing her pain.

She so lost in her happiness, that she almost didn't notice Kago remove her arms from the hug. She then heard her mumble a few words, most of them unable to be heard. Only one word was clear as day.

Car...

She would look at her friend and frown a little.

"Is there something wrong Kago?"

She had genuine concern in her words. She knew Kago was probably nervous, and shy, so this was a normal reaction to being kissed. But she still worried. She didn't want to scare her friend off.

She watched as the smile on Carlotta's face slowly turned into a frown.

"Is there something wrong Kago?"

She had done it again. She was burdening Carlotta because she couldn't get her words to come out the way she wanted.

"What?!! No! You just... caught me by surprise."

She couldn't even look her in the eye. The guilt she felt for taking the smile from Carlotta's face wouldn't let her. She felt like she had betrayed her.

Desperate to break the tension, she took off her last garment of clothing revealing smooth skin as she stuffed it into a locker.

"Let's hit the showers, okay?"

She was already walking towards them.

Wiping the frown off of her face after Kago said that she had just been caught by surprise, Carlotta would grow her smile back. That is until she watched as her friend removed the last piece of clothing she had on, her panties, and start to head towards the showers. Carlotta also removed her panties and, instead of heading directly towards the showers, she would walk up behind her friend and wrap her arms around her now ass-naked friend, who was just as naked as herself.

"Wait...Kago...no...Kamiko."

She put her head against the back of Kamiko's neck and pulled her closer towards her.

"There's something I want to say. Please hear me out."

She would take a deep breath and let it out before putting her head onto her friends shoulder, so that she would be able to see a reaction as she spoke her piece.

"We've been friends for a long time, we both know this. But...recently...for the past few years...I've been having these...feelings...and these thoughts...about you...at first I didn't know what they were about...but...I do now."

She would take another deep breath before saying her last few words.

"I...think I like you...no...I don't think it...I know it."

Once again, Carlotta had embraced her from behind. As she looked over her shoulder, she was glad to see that she was smiling again. Her own disposition brightened up immediately.

"Wait...Kago...no...Kamiko."

"Car?"

She was surprised to hear Carlotta call her by her first name. Usually she just called her Kago. She decided that she like being called Kamiko better.

"There's something I want to say. Please hear me out."

Carlotta tightened her grip on her. Kamiko wondered what she had to say that she would need to "hear out". What could she say that Kamiko would take the wrong way?

"We've been friends for a long time, we both know this. But...recently...for the past few years...I've been having these...feelings...and these thoughts...about you...at first I didn't know what they were about...but...I do now."

Kamiko was confused. She had never heard her so uncertain. Why was she being so vague? There was a pause, and then the pieces of the puzzle began to fit together.

"I...think I like you...no...I don't think it...I know it."

If it was a different situation, she might not have understood what Carlotta had meant. After the kiss however, it was clear.

"Oh."

Kamiko had never noticed. Were there signs? Not that she would have noticed while the previous Captain was around. She knew how it felt to have unreciprocated feelings for someone else. What could she do? She didn't feel the same way about her. She had always thought of her as just a friend. That said, she cared about her a lot. Plus, that kiss. She really didn't mind that kiss to say least. She had never really thought about her in that way before, though. Carlotta was looking directly at her. She had to say something.

"Well... I like you too, Carlotta. I mean, you're like... my best friend. I couldn't imagine losing you... but, I have to admit, when we kissed, I felt something... I liked it."

Just thinking about it began to ignite a heat within her. Her own hands had intertwined with Carlotta's, giving her a pleasant feeling.

"Maybe we can be something..."

Kago paused to wrack her mind for the exact words she wanted to use.

"...More than friends."

She looked into Carlotta's eyes for a response. She wasn't exactly sure about her suggestion and her own eyes showed it.

She would quickly grow a smile at hearing the words she wanted to hear, but the smile was wiped from her face when she looked into her friends eyes. She saw uncertainty. Carlotta didn't want to pressure her friend into anything, but seeing as they had already come this far, she decided she would take it up another step, however just before starting she would gently whisper under her breath.

"Kamiko...please don't hate me for this..."

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"Kamiko...please don't hate me for this..."

Hate her? She couldn't imagine hating her. She still wasn't used to seeing Carlotta like this. As Kamiko face her, she seemed apprehensive. She wasn't smiling anymore. She wanted to make Carlotta feel more comfortable. Her voice was soft and warm.

"Car... that's impossible..."

An equally warm smile grew on her face.

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Carlotta had heard her friend say something, but she was beyond the point of caring. All that she cared about at the present time was pleasing her friend, and now lover.

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As all this was going on, something was going on inside of Carlotta's mind. Her dominant side was starting to show itself, and would more than likely come to be known today as well.

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She was suddenly conscious of the fresh sheen of sweat that had begun to coat her body.

Leaning forward, Carlotta would whisper into the taller girl's ear.

"Stay put Kamiko. I have a surprise in store for you."

She would then plant another kiss upon Kamiko's lips, this time, and for the first time, sliding her tongue past their combined lips to seek her's out. After a few seconds of that deep kiss, she would pull back and start to slowly, almost agonizingly, kiss her way down Kamiko's body.

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"Stay put Kamiko. I have a surprise in store for you."

Her breath hitched at the pleasant sensation of Carlotta's breath on her ear. She couldn't imagine what the red eyed girl had in store for her, but she was excited. Carlotta had kissed her again but this time, she had forced her tongue into her mouth, surprising Kamiko. She had started over from the beginning and hopefully she wouldn't do it again. The blonde didn't know if she could take it. Her kisses were beginning to go lower.

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Then she made a sudden realization that made her pulse jump.

"Car!!! What if someone sees us?!!"

Kamiko was grateful that no one had entered yet, which she had found surprising but someone could have entered at any second... as far as she knew. She was unaware that Carlotta had ever locked the door. Of course, even if she had known, she would have different concerns.

Carlotta would laugh a little as she heard Kamiko yell at her for not finishing. She could clearly see that Kamiko was enjoying herself, the red flush she currently had throughout her body spoke volumes on that. But it was also her moans and yips of pleasure that also spoke on that.

"Oh I'm sorry Kamiko, was there something you wanted me to do?"

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Then she heard Kamiko ask if anyone would come in and, Carlotta would take her head out of the crook of her neck.

"No, I don't think anyone will find us. I took the liberty of locking the door. Why? Did you want someone to find us?"

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"Oh I'm sorry Kamiko, was there something you wanted me to do?"

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"No, I don't think anyone will find us. I took the liberty of locking the door. Why? Did you want someone to find us?"

This should have calmed her. She really wanted to not worry about anyone else, but she was still apprehensive.

"But what if someone is locked out and they go to the Captain to unlock the door?"

She wouldn't be able face him again if he had caught her in an intimate scene. That would make working under him... difficult.

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She heard Kamiko ask about if someone being locked out with go to Dameon for a key. She would take this chance to lean forward a little, so that she could whisper into her ear.

"Don't worry, I made sure to hide his spare keys somewhere safe."