This is a Bleach fanfiction story that I am teaming up with Openminded15 (from fanfiction.net) to write. We do not own anything associated with the Bleach series and/or its characters. However this story is an original idea. Please leave your comments and reviews telling us what you think. Thank you!

Key guide: bold-hollow voice, italics-zanpakuto voice, *mental speech*, "regular speech", thinking', (author notes/translations)

Chapter 1: Let It Rain

It had been dark for a few hours now as the sky was dark almost pitch shinigamis (soul reapers)walk along a path, on their way to their division barracks. They talked and laughed together. They're just coming back from a long and troublesome mission in the World of the Living. Two Hollows were making a scene in a small town a few miles away from Tokyo.

"Hey, how's the arm?" Okada asked. The Shinigami to the right of him had injured his arm chasing down one of the hollows. It had suddenly stopped and attacked him with its retracted claws before he managed to kill it.

Okada normally doesn't like to be around people much but, Daisuke Aoki wasn't bad company. He met him in the Soul Reaper Academy as they'd spar a lot with each other back then. Once they both graduated they were both put in the same division. Squad Twelve. Okada likes Aoki to join him on missions.

"It helps keep me calm." he often tells people when they ask why only Aoki.

"It's fine now, just a little SORE." Aoki answered, flexing his bicep, where a scratch remains. A little blood still seeps through the wound but not much.

"If it acts or gets any worse up you should go to Squad Four to get it looked at." Okada stated as the sky began to look bleak. "We better get back to our barracks fast. It looks like it might down pour at any moment." Okada suggested.

"A little rain never hurt anyone. We'll be fine." replied Aoki. "You act like you might melt because of the rain." he teased his friend. They both jumped and threw their heads back as the sky seemed to explode suddenly as the sound of thunder echoed around them. For a brief instant Okada thought a mid-air collision had occurred over the Seireitei. But what he saw was a SEARING bright flash of lightning that branched out like a giant tree. It ripped down through a canyon of dark clouds. The roar faded as it left his ears ringing.

"Shit!" Aoki blurted out.

The rain came down almost in buckets. It seemed like a shroud over the street lights, blocking out all but the faintest yellow glow. A moment after the lights dimmed out the shower had hit Okada. Big rain drops pelted his face and shoulders. They made his skin tingle. They seemed to sink in to his very skin. The rain seemed very warm to him which was unusual. He suddenly felt a strange, wild rush of excitement flow throughout his body.

"Holy shit." Aoki stated. Both Okada and Aoki stared at each other through the faint jaundiced light. A white shower and mist had now drifted around them. The condensation was probably caused by the hot rain sluicing through the cooler November air. Aoki had looked as if someone had dumped a bucket of white paint over his head. Only his eyes were visible, except they were now yellow in color. His lips curled were curled back exposing sharp teeth. Okada popped the snap of his daze as he snatched out his zanpakuto from its sheath as Aoki lunged at him, snarling. Aoki's fingers clutched tightly around Okada's neck. His thumbs dug hard into Okada's throat. Okada rammed the cold blade of his zanpakuto into Aoki's belly and jerked out of his hold fast. Aoki staggered backwards, folding at the waist.

Okada backed up a few feet, giving himself a small running start as he punted Aoki's face. He hoped that he might send the head soaring like a football. In spite of his power and follow-through however, all he managed to do was to slam Aoki back against the ground. As Okada's right leg reached the height of its kick, his left foot slipped on the wet grass. He flapped his arms and flopped on his back beside Aoki. Jarred by the fall, he lay motionless for a while. The rain felt good. This was like sprawling out in his bathtub with the shower on, but this was better. He slipped his zapankuto back in its protected sheath then spread out his arms and legs. Moaning, he squirmed with pleasure.

As his head turned, he saw Aoki's body close beside him.

'Wow', he thought. 'Sure wasted that son-of-a-bitch!' He laughed suddenly feeling the rain in his mouth. He opened up wide and stretched out his tongue. The rain felt thicker than water. It tasted kind of little like blood, maybe just a little bit. A mild coppery taste. It made him long to fill his mouth with the real thing. Okada rolled over as pushed himself up and began to crawl. He stretched out with his belly down. His elbows were against the soft, wet grass. He grabbed Aoki by the ears. He lifted the man's head towards his mouth. He clamped his mouth to the hollow wound that he had caused and began to suck on the man's rich blood moaning out loud.