With Orihime Inoue there, no one needed to worry about the Shinigami lacking common sense about the World of the Living, so Muten Natsu had no reason to tag along.
Besides... he had worn himself out over the past few days. He needed some proper rest and a chance to catch up on sleep.
"I won't be going either." Retsu Unohana gently shook her head. "If I went with you, you'd all feel too self-conscious."
Muten Natsu fell silent.
It seemed he would not be getting much rest after all.
Considering that Retsu Unohana had not fully recovered her strength, Rukia Kuchiki and Orihime Inoue did not try to persuade her.
When the appointed day arrived, Rukia Kuchiki and Orihime Inoue left together to meet Rangiku Matsumoto and Momo Hinamori.
As for Muten Natsu...
He was still asleep.
There was nothing he needed to do today, so naturally, he intended to sleep for as long as he pleased.
By the time he opened his eyes, it was nearly noon.
Muten Natsu sat up in bed in a daze. It had been a long time since he had slept so deeply, and his mind felt a little foggy.
Sleeping well and sleeping well were two very different kinds of pleasure.
Whichever kind it was, though, too much of it left him groggy.
He rolled out of bed, slipped on his slippers, and walked into the living room with a yawn.
Winter sunlight streamed through the windows and filled the warm room.
Retsu Unohana was reclining on the sofa, leafing through one of the manga Rukia Kuchiki had bought before.
When Rukia Kuchiki first came to the World of the Living, she had known very little about it. Besides watching comedy programs with Orihime Inoue, she had also bought plenty of manga to read by herself.
With nothing else to do, Retsu Unohana had picked one up on a whim and found it surprisingly entertaining.
Since she was in the World of the Living, Retsu Unohana naturally did not need to wear her Shihakushō.
However, she had not brought many clothes with her, and Muten Natsu had soiled her pajamas the night before. When she woke that morning, she had simply put on one of his shirts.
The loose white shirt was faintly translucent, its fabric lifted into soft, rounded curves by her fullness. Where it did not cling to her skin, the outline of her slender waist could be seen beneath it.
The hem rested over her crossed legs, revealing glimpses of pale skin and lending her an alluring, dreamlike beauty.
"Are you awake?" Retsu Unohana looked up at the still-drowsy Muten Natsu and set the manga aside. "Come here and give me a hug~"
Retsu Unohana shifted her legs, and Muten Natsu climbed onto the sofa.
She raised her arms slightly. Muten Natsu naturally wrapped his arms around her waist, pressed himself against her soft body, and buried his face in her embrace. He breathed deeply, letting her sweet fragrance fill his senses.
Feeling his undisguised dependence on her, Retsu Unohana smiled and smoothed his tousled hair. "Are you hungry? Shall I make you something to eat?"
Muten Natsu answered softly, "Hug me first..."
"You're barely awake, yet you're already so energetic." Retsu Unohana hooked her foot behind Muten Natsu's knee. "There's no need to be embarrassed. Mornings are simply like this. It's a sign that you're healthy. Let me help you..."
"No..."
"Hm?" Retsu Unohana narrowed her eyes. A subtle change crept into her otherwise gentle voice. "What did you say?"
"You're always the one helping me..." Muten Natsu raised his head. "I should help you too."
"Oh? Ah... Mm..." Retsu Unohana's eyes shifted slightly. "I'm different from you. I don't need..."
Muten Natsu gazed into her warm eyes. "Do you really not need it?"
"...I really don't." Retsu Unohana pressed her lips together. "I'm happy that you want to repay me. But I help you ease your urges not because I expect anything in return. I do it because I want you to handle yourself better when you're with them."
"But just controlling my urges probably isn't enough." Muten Natsu stared intently at her. "I should do things that make them happy. What should I... do?"
Muten Natsu rubbed upward against Retsu Unohana's soft body and kissed her parted lips. "Should I do this?"
"That's... too direct..." Retsu Unohana breathed out softly. "You should begin with the forehead. It shows consideration and respect."
Muten Natsu gently kissed Retsu Unohana's forehead. "I've always... respected you."
"Your way of showing respect is certainly... unusual." Retsu Unohana glanced at him. "Next, the eyes."
Muten Natsu obediently kissed her eyes. "What does that mean?"
"It means my eyes are closed..." Retsu Unohana's lashes trembled. "And I don't know what you're going to do next."
Muten Natsu understood.
After kissing her eyes, wherever his next kiss landed would come as a small surprise.
Naturally, the first place he thought of was Retsu Unohana's slightly upturned lips. Remembering what she had just told him, however, his gaze shifted elsewhere.
Even with her eyes closed, Retsu Unohana could still sense Muten Natsu's presence.
His increasingly heated breath drew closer as he moved, brushing over her cheek before settling against her warm, jade-like earlobe.
He captured the soft earlobe completely and savored it without restraint. A sweet, breathy sound slipped uncontrollably from between Retsu Unohana's parted lips.
"That sound..." Muten Natsu whispered beside her ear. "Does it mean I'm doing it right?"
Retsu Unohana pressed her lips together, unwilling to let Muten Natsu hear another sound she could not control.
"Am I doing it wrong? Or am I not doing it well enough?" Muten Natsu continued pressing her for an answer. "What should I do?"
That was right... She was teaching him.
Retsu Unohana realized it belatedly.
Teaching him meant honestly telling Muten Natsu which actions were wrong and... which movements made her feel better.
It meant guiding Muten Natsu so he could make her feel comfortable and pleased, then truthfully describing that comfort and pleasure to him... in careful detail.
"Naughty boy..." Retsu Unohana tightened her grip around Muten Natsu's wrist. "You're a naughty little boy..."
"Then what should I do to become a good boy...?" Muten Natsu kissed her cheek, then the corner of her mouth. "Should I do this...?"
His warm breath had already reached Retsu Unohana's glistening lips, but instead of kissing them, Muten Natsu pressed his lips to her neck.
"Or should I do this?"
His kisses trailed downward, as light as a dragonfly skimming across water, until they finally settled on the crimson scar between her collarbones.
The flower-like scar seemed even more bewitching than usual.
"Tell me..." Muten Natsu murmured dreamily. "What should I do to be your good boy?"
Retsu Unohana released his wrist and tilted his chin upward.
"Just like that."