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Romance and Rivalries	By : Kinnikuman Category: Bleach > AU - Alternate Universe Views: 2658 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
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Chapter List
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Chapter Nineteen
By Rob
The streets of Karakura were not the type of place one wished to be found late at night. It wasn’t that they were particularly violent, dangerous or ugly, but merely that it was so easy to find trouble, especially when trouble was looking for you.
Sure, if you lived in the nice middle-class suburbs like Kurosaki-san or Inoue-san then you rarely found yourself at unease. Even the dead of night, no matter how you dressed or acted, you were safe, but if you ever strayed out of those nice, friendly middle-class streets and out into the real world . . . well, then you better watch out. The thieves never bothered with the richer parts of town, and no doubt those famous few like the Kuchiki family or the Shihoin, Kira or Shiba clans were always safe to walk freely because bodyguards often adorned their every move, but the working-class guys didn’t have those same sorts of privileges. The few people who weren’t lucky enough to be born rich had to follow rules to keep safe. They had to be home before dark, lock their homes up properly, and make sure not to start any trouble that they couldn’t afford to get into. It also helped a lot if you had the skills at self-defence or attack that could get you out of trouble once you inevitable found yourself in it.
Yumichika couldn’t pretend to understand why crime mostly happened in those few poorer areas, for surely it would make more sense to target the rich and beautiful, but perhaps it was simply easier to target the poor souls unable to fend for themselves. Whatever the reason for crime, Yumichika did not feel scared as people often assumed he should. He may have had a pretty enough face to make him perfect for sexual assaults, or enough money to make him a prime target for muggers, but that did not mean he had anything to fear. People always assume the pretty ones are the defenceless ones, but that is not the case! Yumichika knew for a fact that the prettiest people were often the strongest. Why, just ask any model! They needed to know how to fend off stalkers, how to defend against would-be-rapists, and to win in fights so that they didn’t scratch their faces, because one mark to the face would ruin your career. They always assumed Yumichika was just like the rest of the models, a pretty face without the brains or brawn to be anything more than just a pretty face, and that was probably why Ikkaku had kicked up such a fuss when he’d learnt Yumichika had been involved in a fight. Really now! Didn’t anyone think he could handle himself even just a little? It was so very insulting. If people didn’t just assume things about him, didn’t just think of him as weak because of his position and career, then they might just learn a thing or two themselves. Lord knew that Yumichika was probably a better fighter than any of Zaraki-Sensei’s men, and it was just a shame he couldn’t prove it. Still, there were better things in the world to think about than what such ruffians thought.
Yes, he could defend himself, but that was the problem . . . If Ikkaku ever found out that he was such a good fighter then his boyfriend would think of him as a hypocrite, a liar, or worse he would think of him as a threat to his masculinity! Ikkaku prided himself on his manhood, on being a defender of his friends and fellow pupils, and if he thought for one moment that his boyfriend – his looks obsessed, beautiful, model of a boyfriend – was better of a fighter . . . Surely he would feel weak, less of a man? Surely he would look at Yumichika with a whole new set of eyes, maybe leave him altogether? Cast him away as if he meant nothing at all?
Oh God! He didn’t think he would be able to bear that at all. Shuhei had just been a few drunken moments of experimentation, Renji had been – well – a mistake, but Ikkaku -? Ikkaku was the man that he had loved, respected and wished to stand beside for a lifetime or more. It had taken him so long to find a man whom he could trust, honour and respect, that he could give his heart and loyalty to and not just his body, and to have that all thrown away because he let such a pathetic secret slip? If he had to keep his strength hidden in order to preserve his relationship then he would. He would do it because to do otherwise would be to lose the man he loved, the man who helped to give his life meaning. He could not bear another rejection, another loss, to be cast away and abandoned as if he meant nothing to anyone.
What would Zaraki-Sensei think too? Would he cast Yumichika aside, hate him and loathe him, no longer treat him with respect or as if he was one of his men? Would he lose the man whom had been like a mentor to him?
He could not help such heavy thoughts weighing upon him. It was of course very frustrating because he most certainly did not want to inflict worry lines onto his flawless features, but how could he not worry when those thugs and hoodlums from the week before were still out and about? All it would take was for just one – just one – to return and make trouble, and for Yumichika to instinctively throw one punch, and he’d lose it all. It’d be gone in a heartbeat. It would be his fault, of course it would, because he already had the potential to push Ikkaku away, he already had that fault deep inside of him, but to show his lover and to reveal the extent of that ugliness . . . it didn’t bear thinking about. He couldn’t fight, not if it meant feeling the weight of that black abyss as his lover left him, to stare into the face of darkness knowing he was all alone. He’d felt that way before Ikkaku, before even Renji, when all he had was simply Matsumoto and the hope for a future career. It was such an ugly feeling, to feel so alone and isolated, knowing that the only people you ever had claim to simply left you, and all for a fault you could not name. The only thing Yumichika could blame it on was himself. It was his fault that those he loved had left, and if he weren’t careful his current friends and family would leave him too. He could not bear to add to the guilt and shame already upon his heart, because sooner or later such impure thoughts would mar his outer beauty, but he could not forget his past. To forget those pains would leave him open to committing the same mistakes again, to losing those people he loved again, and he would not lose Ikkaku. He would not.
He nearly jumped from his skin as Ikkaku suddenly placed a hand upon his shoulder. It was strange, but he’d been so consumed by his fears that the only sound he’d been able to hear was the beating drum of his own heart. He hadn’t even noticed Ikkaku struggling to keep up with his fact pace, or shooting discreet looks at him as he gnawed upon his plump lip. Had he really been that wrapped up in his own mind?
“Yo, Yumi? What’s eating you?”
“Hmm? Oh, nothing! Nothing!” Yumichika replied. He gave a sweet smile as he gazed upwards to the shining moon, admiring its silvery glow as it cast light down upon the earth’s soft surface. “I was just thinking about some things, that’s all. Silly things really, nothing that I should have concerned myself over.”
Ikkaku obviously didn’t buy his act.
He removed his hand from Yumi’s shoulder and instead gripped one side of his wooden, practise sword, and held it behind his head in a rather casual manner. It was then he glanced sideways to Yumichika without moving his head.
“Really?”
“Oh, don’t be so silly, Ikkaku! You know if something were bothering me I’d tell you in an instant. I just don’t want you adding any wrinkles to that handsome face of yours over concerns that aren’t really that important.”
“If they weren’t important then you wouldn’t have any issues with telling me.”
Yumichika tried his best not to sigh, for to sigh was so unmanly and common, it wasn’t exactly a dignified way to express his frustration. Instead he merely brushed a hand through his dark locks and closed his eyes for one brief, serene moment in time, taking the time to enjoy the feeling of the soft breeze on his pale skin, and the way the moonlight almost felt cool on his features. If it weren’t for the worry of those hoodlums returning it would have been the most splendid of nights. Already he had the most picturesque image of making love to Ikkaku underneath the open window, looking up into his dark eyes as the moonlight hit them at the moment of utmost pleasure. Ah! It’d make the most beautiful photograph! Ikkaku was so jealous before over Hisagi’s photo, maybe he could persuade Ikkaku to participate in a little photo shoot of his own?
“Yo! Yumi! Quit daydreaming, will you? We’re almost home. If Zaraki-Sensei’s awake he won’t be happy if we stumble in and you look drunk, not when I’ve been banned from Matsumoto’s Bar.”
“Oh, like that stops you from visiting!”
Ikkaku gave a sound that seemed halfway between a snort of irritation and a laugh, and then turned his gaze down the street towards Zaraki’s boarding house, the house attached to the main dojo where only the most troublesome students lived. If Ikkaku hadn’t had been such a pain a few weeks ago then they would have been home by now, as the dormitory for trustworthy students was literally only a few feet to their right, but if Ikkaku kept behaving as he did he’d hopefully have his old room back in no time. Until then the extra five minute walk wouldn’t do them any harm. Indeed the walk was quite like perfection, wandering underneath the large sakura trees, picturing the scent and sight of how they would appear in bloom, and enjoying the soft sound of music trailing down from one of the student’s bedrooms, something like enka. It was these beautiful moments in time that he lived for, enjoying them more than he enjoyed the flash of the camera or the visions of beauty on paper. He loved Ikkaku dearly, and he loved simply spending time with him. He could not ask for anything more.
He would have thought that their earlier trip to Rangiku’s would have dampened his mood, but it hadn’t. They’d had to bribe Rangiku not to call Zaraki-Sensei the moment she set eyes on Ikkaku, and of course he couldn’t claim seeing Renji again was the highlight of his day, but ultimately seeing the ‘old gang’ and the ‘new’ had raised his spirits.
It seemed that everyone had showed up at Matsumoto’s Bar that night. In the far corner Ikkaku had seen a few of his teachers, even pointing two out to be friends of Zaraki-Sensei’s, it seemed that one of the trio had recovered from quite a severe illness and so the three were out to celebrate. There was a bickering couple sat next to them, and a very stoic looking woman who would have been pretty were it not for her librarian demeanour and attire, and it seemed as if the group were truly enjoying themselves. Of course the last thing Ikkaku wanted was to be spotted by Kyoraku-Sensei and Ichimaru-Sensei, and so they’d quickly paid Rangiku and headed into the private room. The private room wasn’t anything special, but it meant that groups of individuals could be alone away from the rest of the customers, and Ikkaku’s friends had thought it would be a good idea to all chip in some money and rent the room for the evening. If Yumichika were to be honest they’d chosen this room solely because most of the group were minors, and none of them particularly wanted to be discovered by a teacher or a parent. Indeed, spending his evening with a group of children seemed so dull when he first considered it, but in the end he had been quite happy that Ikkaku had chosen to invite him along.
There had been an awkward atmosphere at first, but before long Ikkaku appeared to make amends with Renji, and the two were catching up on life events as if they had never had that period of estrangement. Iba of course handed out as much alcohol as possible, considering he drank more than his fair share. Shuhei had also decided to tag along and seemed busy trying to get Kira as inebriated as possible, and of course soon regretted that when Kira lost all sense of personal space, which was only made worse each time Rangiku entered to check upon them . . . The woman seemed to know exactly how to make Shuhei and Kira lose control, and soon they were taking the most insane bets and causing quite a ruckus. Ichigo of course seemed content brooding in a far corner, looking rather grim and making Yumichika wonder why his teal-haired lover hadn’t come along also. Then of course there was Inoue-san and Ishida-san bonding over fashion, and the one they called ‘Chad’ sitting beside Ichigo as he refused to touch a drop of alcohol, and that thing that they called ‘Ganju’. Disgusting! That man was the only thing to spoil his evening. What right did a man so ugly have to feel that it was acceptable to speak to a man like Yumichika? If he ever saw that man again it would be too soon! Still, it had been nice for everyone to reconcile and to bond, to see everyone laugh and to smile, and it had been nice to feel a sense that he truly belonged somewhere. It was a feeling he very rarely had. There were moment when Zaraki’s men would invite him to parties, but he often found himself sitting elegantly to one side, sipping tea whilst the other became wild. He never truly belonged there, but here – here for one small moment – he could pretend that he did. Of course if Zaraki-Sensei were to find out where they’d been there would be hell to pay, but providing they stuck to the story that Ikkaku had been studying with some friends then they’d be fine.
“Hey, do you think everyone got home okay?”
Yumichika looked at his lover with a curious expression. It wasn’t like Ikkaku to show such concern, especially not when he was loaded on sake and carrying his practise sword. It was a question he hadn’t expected at all. His only explanation was that perhaps Ikkaku feared this gang would attack his friends next, having been scared away from attacking his boyfriend. If that was the case then it was quite chivalrous and responsible of Ikkaku to show such concern, but the likelihood was that the gang would simply bide their time and return to get Yumichika at a later date, and frankly they both knew that. It was wishful thinking to think otherwise, to assume that the gang wouldn’t return to cause Yumichika trouble.
“Oh, I’m sure they got home just fine!” Yumichika said with a bright smile. “After all Rangiku was smart enough not to serve us any alcohol, she enjoys her license too much to risk it serving booze to the likes of you on a night she could get caught. Plus Lord knows that the alcohol you, Iba, Renji and Ganju brought wasn’t even enough to make a man like Zaraki-Sensei lose his bearings! Face it, we’re all sober enough to be responsible, and everyone left in groups, any one who wanted to start trouble would have to be insane to start something!”
“Yeah, well what about Inoue-san, or Ishida-san, or that Kira kid that tagged along? You think any of those can handle themselves? Shit, Yumi, that Kira kid was probably the one most drunk out the whole lot.”
“Yes, and Renji was sweet enough to walk Ishida-san back to his apartment, and Inoue-san was picked up by her friend who I’m told is an expert at martial arts, as for Kira-kun I’m sure that Hisagi offered to take him home. Why, Ichimaru-Sensei was even kind enough to offer to visit Kira-kun within the hour to make sure he got home safely. You have nothing to worry about, Ikkaku!”
“Maybe you’re right . . .”
They’d finally reached the main dojo. There were several lights still on in the upper floors, indicating that several students were still awake, and in the main training hall itself the sounds of grunts and taunts could be heard loudly, where no doubt Zaraki was beating as much knowledge as he could into his young charges, before retiring for the night. Yumichika was quite thankful Zaraki-Sensei was still up, the front doors were always locked from eleven until six, and the students were not given keys so as to prevent them from coming and going as they pleased. The few who missed curfew, came back too late, and then woke Sensei up, being that he was one of the rare few with an actual key . . . well, they tended to find themselves beat pretty bad in morning’s training, usually ending up being sent to Kurosaki Clinic with injuries. If Zaraki had been asleep it would have meant a rather annoying walk back to Yumichika’s apartment, where his doorman with the illegal gun would have tried to keep them talking for far too long than necessary. Thankfully Sensei was still awake.
Whilst Ikkaku hammered hard on the door, screaming loudly for someone to let him inside, Yumichika took a moment to look properly at his surroundings. It truly was a beautiful night out tonight. Despite the harsh lights of Karakura town he could still see the twinkle of stars high above him, and with each exhale he could see his own private cloud of breath reaching out before him. The glow of the moon seemed to give an ethereal nature to the view, making the trees glisten and shimmer like molten silver as the slow breeze blew through them, and in the distance he could see the sight of people walking to and fro. In fact not too far ahead he could see Hisagi-san, fanning poor Kira-kun’s face as his friend sat on the floor too drunk to move, and no doubt he’d probably stumble into Zaraki’s in a few minutes time to ask if Sensei could call someone to collect them both. Ah, to be young again! Yumichika didn’t think he could remember a time like that, when he couldn’t hold his liquor and was forced to rely on his friend’s to help him out as he passed out in the streets. Overall it seemed like a typical night . . . that was except for the man who seemed to be standing at the far end of the street, suspiciously watching Ikkaku and himself.
How had he not noticed that man before? He was clearly one of the gang that had attacked him in the previous week, except the idiot had thought that donning black clothing would make him invisible. He stood there with that idiotic haircut and hideous smile, just watching Yumichika in a very obvious manner, before nodding in the opposite direction. Of course he turned to see what this man was staring at, and it was most certainly not good. On the opposite side of the street, far away from the first man, were four or so burly men, each looking like they had a bone to pick with Yumichika, and two even carrying very noticeable weapons. So far they were merely standing still, and that was good. The moment they made a move it would be to go in for the kill, and there was no way that Ikkaku could take them all on his own, and Yumichika certainly didn’t wish to get involved any more than he would have to. No, so long as they stayed where they were those men wouldn’t pose a problem, and hopefully Zaraki-Sensei would soon get to the door and let them in . . .
“Yo! Sensei! Open the door, will you? We can’t get in!”
Yumichika bit his lip nervously as he watched the men beginning to walk towards them at a slow and steady pace, whilst Ikkaku remained completely oblivious to their oncoming approach. He continued to bang away on the doors, not realising they were slowly being ambushed, and the only response from behind the door was a little, girlish giggle and a jiggle of keys.
‘Aw, no can do, Baldy! Kenny says I have to leave you outside for a while, because you did a bad thing by coming home late!’
“Yachiru, I mean it, open this door at once or I’ll -!”
“I believe we have bigger problems here, Ikkaku.”
Ikkaku stopped for a moment and followed his boyfriend’s gaze. At once he caught sight of about five youths coming closer, they were spread out enough to make escaping in that direction impossible, and the fact they were carrying weapons was more than obvious at that point. It was possible to take on an entire group if they were weaponless, but when at least three were carrying knives that made taking them on pretty damned hard, or at least when you had to protect the guy behind you whilst fighting . . . Shit! If only Yumichika had learnt how to fight, he’d be one less distraction and one more man on his side to fight; it would have made taking those guys out a hell of a lot easier. Still, he could take them, he knew he could, it was just a matter of getting them away from Yumichika and waiting for Zaraki-Sensei to figure out what was going on and send back-up.
The guy furthest to the left was touching the main street, the street dead opposite Zaraki’s academy, which meant running that way was out of the question, not unless he wanted to get Kira and Hisagi involved. The guy furthest to the right was on the pavement for the road that headed into the parkland, literally leaning against the wall to the dojo, but the street in that direction was deserted behind the gang, and considering how Ikkaku often trained with the guys up there he knew the parkland and the streets like the back of his hand. The only place the hoodlums didn’t have cornered was the road directly behind them, the one that led right into the heart of Karakura’s residential district, which would have been the perfect place to run if one wanted to get away and get help. Right, the best way to do this would be to get Yumi far away and lead the goons off into the park, that way he could kick their ass and hold them off until some of the other members of the academy arrived. That way Yumi would be safe, and Hisagi and Kira didn’t need to get involved.
“Yumi, you head that way, I’ll fend these guys off whilst you make a run for the dorms down the road.” Ikkaku gave a devilish smirk as he threw out his arm and pointed his kendo sword directly at the gang. “I’ll make a run past these guys and lead them into the park, Zaraki will know where to find me and send some back-up. Get going. Stay in the dormitory until it’s safe, you got that?”
“Ikkaku, no!”
His words didn’t do any good, although he couldn’t really say he expected them to. Ikkaku had already made a sharp run for it. He was quick on his feet and showy in his movements, and it didn’t take long at all before the gang all had their eyes on him. He managed to get a few good hits on the men with his kendo sword, cutting two of the men profusely above their eyes, and bruising one guy’s arm mad enough that it caused him to howl out in pain. It was then that he did what Yumichika considered a rather cute dance, although he was sure Ikkaku would call the ‘lucky dance’ manly, before making a mad dash between two of the men and heading straight into the park. Of course the whole gang followed at once, leaving Yumichika alone by the doors to the main dojo, where he could hear Yachiru bickering with Zaraki.
He had to admit that Ikkaku’s tactics would have worked very well . . . if it weren’t for the fact that the idiot hadn’t taken a good look at his surroundings, and forgotten the lone man standing along the street behind Yumichika. It was just a very good thing that he had brains as well as beauty because, if he had followed Ikkaku’s advice and backtracked to the dormitory down the road, then he would have ran right into the arms of the lone gangster with a knife. Luckily he had nothing to fear. He could defend himself pretty well, and it sounded as if Zaraki was getting some men together to head out and stop the commotion before it escalated into something dangerous.
Really, what idiots would cause a ruckus outside of the main dormitory of one of the world’s best martial arts facilities and academies? It was just plain suicide. He hoped that if anything these hooligans would learn a valuable lesson from the beating they were no doubt about to receive, it would serve them right if they did. How dare they disrupt the beauty of his surroundings only to cause an ugly scene?
He turned his head quickly to assess the situation. If he was lucky he might be able to stay where he was and avoid the guy entirely, or if the guy did reach him before Zaraki got the damned door open maybe he could fend him off with a few simple moves? At least that way no one had to be any wiser about his fighting skills. The problem was no matter where he looked the guy from before was nowhere to be seen, which was odd considering the damned fool made his presence so obvious and pointed out his friends to Yumichika. He rolled his eyes and realised that the man was obviously too chicken to go up against someone on his own, and had probably backed out and ran away somewhere, it wasn’t unusual behaviour for those types of me, but it truly irked him. Why start a fight unless you were willing to go through with it? It was such ugly decorum to be so rude, to start something that you were not willing to finish, and if he ever caught sight of that guy again he’d be sure to finish it for good.
Up ahead he could see Kira and Hisagi still loitering about. Poor Kira-kun was still sitting hunched on the floor, looking as if he was ready to vomit, and Hisagi was standing over him on the phone looking more than a little pissed off. Ah, it was never any fun when you go to a party and get stuck babysitting the lightweight, and by the sounds of it Hisagi was busy talking on the phone too, probably trying to arrange a lift from somebody as he tried to stop Kira from puking too much. Yumichika could only make out the odd word but Hisagi sounded rather annoyed and informal, he must have been speaking to his boyfriend or to Kira’s, because if he were to speak to anyone else in that tone at three in the morning then they’d be less than pleased. It was about that time when Zaraki finally managed to unlock the door and around twenty of his pupils ran out, chasing down Ikkaku in the park to help out their fellow student, with Yachiru in the lead . . .
He could hear Zaraki grunting out a few questions, but before he could turn to answer he finally caught sight of the man from earlier, the one who was carrying such an obvious and large knife, the one who saw Yumichika and motioned to his goons behind him. His presence wasn’t what forced Yumichika into action though; it was the fact that he was standing in the bushes at the street corner, directly behind Kira-kun with the knife raised. His eyes weren’t upon Kira however, but on Yumichika, and he was laughing, clearly laughing! Kira was still kneeled over on the floor, Hisagi with his back to him as he argued with someone on the phone, looking around for street signs, and the guy was stepping closer, raising the knife higher . . .
Damn it, if he didn’t make a dash for it now he wouldn’t get there in time! If he shouted Hisagi then the guy would act and Hisagi wouldn’t have time to defend Kira! He was going to have to risk it, he was going to have to run and tackle the guy himself, stop him from hurting those who had nothing to do with the situation at hand. Oh, this was all Ikkaku’s fault! Why that idiot had to get involved with street fights in the first place was beyond Yumichika!
“Hey, Yumichika, I’m talking t’ you.”
“I’m sorry, sir, but I have to go!”
“Huh? Hey, wait!”
Yumichika didn’t think twice as he ran across the road, thankful that at this time of night no drivers thought to drive along the T-junction. It had been a long time since he had needed to run so fast, his actual speed had in fact shocked him at first and his initial take off almost had him stumbling, but despite how foreign the exercise was to him it felt almost like a second nature. It felt good to move those muscles so unused to such physical exertion, to feel like he was moving at maximum speed and yet with a slight push to break past that, to achieve a speed that didn’t seem possible, to move in a flash. It had been so long since he had felt the wind against his face, or had the adrenaline rush in his bloodstream that forced him to move past points of exertion. It was a feeling that reminded him he was alive, that reminded him of his very strength, and he relished that feeling, and he revelled in it. It was almost enough to make him regret turning away from the life of fights, making him wish he’d enrolled at Zaraki’s academy, even if it was just for night classes a few days each week. There really was nothing like the thrill of a fight.
It felt like a mere second to move from his position by the academy doors to reach the man that waited behind Kira-kun, and perhaps it was. Time – after all – didn’t really have meaning when your very heart was beating faster than you could count, when your very reason for existence was solely for the moment. At that point in time he didn’t think or care about anything except severely hurting the guy threatening the life of his friend’s companion. Kira was innocent in all of this, and he certainly couldn’t defend himself, what right had someone to threaten to attack him? That man had no right to threaten Kira in such an ugly manner, no right at all! If Yumichika had to put a stop to that then he damn right would! It was unthinkable to attack a defenceless man when his back was turned, it was the height of cowardice, and it was unthinkable what man could possibly defend such a stance.
All Yumichika knew was that one minute Zaraki had been asking him questions, the next he had tackled the man at a running speed and had him pinned harshly against the rough bark of a tree. He ignored the cries of Hisagi as he tried to analyse the situation, albeit reacting far too slowly, and ignored the fearful scream of Kira as he tried to run backwards away from the would-be stabber. The only thing Yumichika concentrated on was knocking this jerk out and breaking every bone he possessed.
Within seconds the guy had pushed Yumichika back and took a swing at him with the knife, but his sharp reflexes enabled him to pull back seconds before the metal would have collided with his face. He responded quickly by grabbing the guy’s wrist and locking his arm completely, spinning him around as he pinned him chest first against the bark of the tree. The guy struggled but it didn’t do him any good. Yumichika tightened his grip on the guy’s wrist and forced him to drop the knife, then with a quick movement of his right hand touched a nerve upon the man’s neck and instantly knocked him unconscious. He quickly scooped up the guy in his arms before he fell and dropped him hard onto the pavement. No doubt the police would soon arrive and when they did they’d have evidence enough to arrest the ugly scoundrel, after all carrying a knife would mean at least a few years served in jail. At the moment however his primary concern was to make sure Ikkaku was alive and well, all else could wait, even the impertinence of such a street hoodlum. It wasn’t until he looked up and saw the slightly shocked expressions of Hisagi, Kira and Zaraki that he realised just exactly what he’d done.
“Ah, I can explain! You see, what happened was -!”
“Forget it,” Zaraki snapped, “You three get inside, and I’ll wait here for the cops to show. I’ll call Gin to come pick you up whilst I wait, Kira.”
Yumichika followed the order without question. He had a feeling he’d done more than enough to invoke Zaraki’s rage, and he certainly didn’t want to risk his ire any more by disobeying a direct order . . . He could only hope that at the very least Sensei hadn’t seen his skills and that he could still hide the extent of his abilities, otherwise he may well have to say goodbye to Ikkaku, and that would be more than he was able to bear . . . Still, what choice did he have? He had to save Kira’s life, didn’t he?
* * *
The only thing stopping him from kicking that narcissistic, effeminate, loudmouthed bastard’s ass was the fact that over the years he’d grown somewhat . . . affectionate of the guy. He wouldn’t go so far as to say he liked him, but he’d definitely gotten used to having a part-time babysitter for Yachiru and having someone around to knock some sense into Ikkaku.
Yumichika was kind of like that guy, you know? He was like the kid in class that you always depend on for the answer and pass notes to in order to kill time, it’s not that you like the kid but you share a common bond and keep each other sane for an hour each week. If he died or something you wouldn’t be sad, but you’d sure as hell be a lot more bored in lessons. Zaraki appreciated Yumichika. He appreciated his help around the dojo, how he’d watch Yachiru without any complaint, and how he kept his top student happy whilst keeping him out of trouble. He admired the guy’s ruthless ambition, his desire to excel himself every time he attempted something, and most of all he admired his loyalty to the men. He was a good kid. It didn’t mean Zaraki was going to throw freaking birthday parties for him or adopt him into his family, but nevertheless there was some feeling there. Heh, it was possible that had they more in common they’d have been a lot closer, but as it was they were somewhat distant, and Zaraki was willing to admit that. He respected Yumichika, Yumichika respected him, but seriously, how much can a forty-five-year-old father in charge of a kendo academy have in common with a nineteen-year-old, air-headed photographer slash model? There was a limit to how close they were going to be. After all, could anyone honestly say that Zaraki was the sort to talk make-up and boys, or Yumichika the finer points of battle strategy? He doubted it. Still, despite their distance he’d some respect for the guy, just some, and this –? This was like something no words could truly capture. Maybe someone like Byakuya or Kyoraku would be able to name what it was he felt, but he sure as hell couldn’t.
What pissed him off the most was that maybe – just maybe – if that little shit had just been honest and open about his abilities, they would have been all the closer. Don’t get it wrong, it wasn’t like he wanted to have a new drinking buddy or hang out on his days off, after all he had Kyoraku, Ichimaru and Matsumoto for that, but it would have sure as hell been nice to have someone new to spar with. Who knew, maybe it would have actually made Zaraki respect the guy more knowing that he wasn’t just some pussy but could actually defend himself; that he could actually fight like a man!
Ha! That Yumichika had been holding out on him! He actually had skills, talent, and he would have made an excellent addition to his team! With a man that strong on the kendo team Zaraki’s men would have no trouble winning, and it’d have been fun training a new recruit, and his men could have learnt something in return too! Who knew that underneath those stupid feathered accessories, or that neatly styled hair, or those ridiculously over-the-top clothes, there lay the heart of a warrior? If it was the very last thing he did he’d make sure that brat signed up for the kendo team, even if it was just for a few lessons a week, because the men could sure use a guy like that. If he did convince Yumichika to join he might even be able to convince Byakuya to spend some time at the dojo, after all he was a pretty boy too, he might just appreciate seeing someone all stuck-up like him actually being able to defend himself. What would someone like Yumichika call it -? ‘Combing a sense of the aesthetics with brute strength’? Bah, he didn’t know what something like that meant but he knew it didn’t matter; all that mattered was getting that bastard onto his team! How dare that little punk hold out on him all these years? If it weren’t for Ikkaku he would have eviscerated that jackass by now!
Granted, that it seemed Yumichika’s skills varied from his men. He didn’t go for direct attacks but instead preferred subtler approaches, such as rapid evasion and fast agility, combined with a perfect knowledge of the nervous system (seeing as how he’d managed to knock that guy out by literally touching a nerve, using the pain as a way to disable him). He’d instinctively known how to move and to where, and he’d even known how to lock his opponent’s arm and had the strength to lift him up afterwards too. His men could learn from that. Likewise, he knew that Yumichika could learn a lot from his men too.
Huh. It was weird, but suddenly he actually had a whole new level of respect for Yumichika, a level of respect that shouldn’t have been possible to have for a guy like that. He really couldn’t wait to tell Ikkaku about this recent change of events, it really would make for a very interesting night, and it’d also make for a good story to tell Byakuya on his date tomorrow.
Over in the main training hall he could hear the men complaining about how easy the fight had been, whilst others yawned and headed off for a well-deserved sleep. The few students closest to the door included Ikkaku, who could only complain loudly that the police had to get involved. It seemed the kid was just annoyed his fight was cut short before any damage could be inflicted, but Zaraki was just plain proud he’d followed orders and stayed out of trouble, not causing any more damage than was needed and stuck to self-defence. It meant that Ikkaku was becoming a man who could be trusted, that he was learning what it really meant to be a fighter, and it meant that he’d done the right thing by following his gut and keeping a close eye on the kid. Still, was it wrong that he hoped the hoodlum gang wouldn’t get jail time? Part of him was just aching for them to come after his students again, just so he could have the pleasure of ripping them limb from limb all to himself! If those bastards ever crossed him in the future he’d make sure they’d never forget his name, he’d make them pay.
He couldn’t help but watch his students as they gossiped amongst themselves. He’d found himself a cosy enough spot in the centre of one of the main corridors, it branched off the main dojo and led into the offices, not that the offices ever got used much but he’d found it a good place to stash Yumichika and the two brats he was with. Any thing that was confidential was locked up tight in filing cabinets, or – as some of his more technological students and staff assured him – in password encrypted computer files. The phone in that particularly office could only ring internally, so the only places reachable were the several training areas on the ground floor, and the dormitories on the floors above. He couldn’t see any harm in stashing them away in the office, and if they caused any trouble he could knock them out in a heartbeat anyway, not that they dared to cause any trouble.
Yumichika and the guy with the scars on his face were both very nearly legally adults, and so he could have probably just sent them on their way, but he wanted a word with Yumichika and the other guy apparently had already called his boyfriend to pick him up. The blond-haired kid he’d been introduced to a few days before. It was Kira, Gin’s new little toy, and so he hadn’t much choice there but to wait for Gin to arrive to take little Kira-kun home. Oh, what a good teacher he was. Still, so long as Gin didn’t tease him over dating the ice princess Byakuya, he weren’t going to tease Gin over falling in love with a student. Although it was already around six o’clock, it did make him wonder how that bloody kid was going to make it to school, especially considering how he was still drunk as Rangiku on her nights off. He could guarantee Ikkaku would show, because the brat knew if he didn’t Zaraki would drag him to school like last time, but as for Kira and whoever else showed up to the party . . . Heh, it wasn’t his problem, although he’d have thought the damned brats would have saved their partying for tomorrow, whoever heard of a ‘Thursday night out’ getting wasted?
Still, on the bright side today was officially the start of Friday, even if Zaraki hadn’t ‘officially’ ended Thursday with a good night’s sleep or even a few hours of sleep, and in an hour or two ninety-percent of his students would be headed to school. If he was lucky he’d be able to catch a few hours by pawning Yachiru off onto that Maki-Maki fellow, and it’s not as if Gin could keep him talking for hours on end, what with teaching classes on all. Hopefully today would be pretty easy to deal with.
It was then he heard the distinct sound of footsteps heading into the corridor.
The sound was slightly overpowered by the rush of his students’ feet as they ran to their dorms, most in an attempt to get ready for school before the bell, and the rest probably to grab a hot shower before the water ran out or Yachiru purposely started flushing the toilets to hurry them up. In retrospect he should have found it odd that the entire group of students were kept riveted in the hall, only to all disappear at the exact same moment, but truthfully he didn’t think anyone would have expected what had happened. On the other hand maybe he should have expected it, but in his defence there was only so much a man of his age could take, and he couldn’t be faulted for not being alert when he hadn’t slept in over a day.
He turned his head only to catch sight of a rather attractive young woman in her thirties. Her blonde-brown hair cascaded over her back in a bouncy and wavy manner, and her blue eyes shone like sapphires on porcelain skin, complete with one beauty spot just under her plump lips. Everything about her screamed ‘sex appeal’, right down to her huge bosom that was far too large to be real, and her perfect height and slim waist. Her clothes were the latest fashion too, and her dress was probably verging on ‘too short’, if there was such a thing. All in all it was enough to make Zaraki’s mouth water and, if it weren’t for their close relationship or the fact he wanted Kuchiki so badly, he probably would have hit on her the moment he set eyes on her.
“What do you want, Rangiku?” He said gruffly.
“Aw, come on now, Zaraki-sensei!” Her voice was as high and singsong as always, lively and full of emotion, and when she spoke she even gave a little jump that made her breasts bounce in the most seductive of ways. “I come all this way and that’s the greeting I get? It’s enough to make a girl cry!”
“We both know it’d take a lot more than that to make you cry. What do you want? Don’t you have a bar to run?”
“At six in the morning? My, even I don’t drink that early!”
He gave a little snort of amusement and turned his head to look at her properly.
Frankly she had no reason to be here; she’d already obviously distracted his men, judging from how the moment she left the room so did they, and to his knowledge she had little to no fighting ability either. Heh, what good was someone who couldn’t fight? She might look pretty and have a personality to match, but unless she could kick some ass then she wasn’t worth his time. Yeah, she was pretty popular and he knew that. Gin was her childhood friend and always dropping by to annoy her, and Kyoraku was probably her best drinking buddy (although granted everyone was a drinking buddy to that drunk), and even Yumichika somehow found her company enjoyable, but what did they know? They were the kind of guys who only cared about fun and games, who manipulated people for fun, who drank when they should have been working, and who preened in front of a mirror rather than doing anything of importance. Sure she was hot, and maybe if it wouldn’t have been so weird he might have had a go at that long ago, but he couldn’t respect her. Unless she could best him or his men in a fight what was there to respect?
Still, what he really wanted to know was why she was here. Usually she opened the bar around midday and closed at about midnight, excepting nights when clients wanted to party and paid her to keep the bar open until late. She was also rushed off her feet dealing with Toshiro’s education and well being, as well as lazy as hell and unwilling to get out of bed until around at least half-twelve, by which point an employee had already opened the bar for her. Ukitake’s party had finished around three, he knew because that’s when Ikkaku started hammering the door to get in, and that’s when Kyoraku sent drunken texts that he was certain had been meant for Ukitake, or at least he hoped so. By all rights the little vixen should have been fast asleep or at least wrapped up in bed fighting off a hangover, instead she was lurking about his corridors with her breasts practically falling out of her top, distracting his men. Luckily Yachiru was asleep. He really didn’t want her getting any ideas about Rangiku’s behaviour being normal, she was a troublesome enough kid as it was, he didn’t want her to grow into her teenage years drinking like a fish and flashing people for fun. Well, not when they lived in a building comprised solely of teenage and young adult men at least.
“I’m not going to ask you again, Rangiku. Why are you here? You might want to answer me this time before I really get pissed off.”
“Oh, don’t spoil my fun! Here I am, visiting one of my most favourite people, and you make me feel all bad and guilty! Why, you should be ashamed of yourself! What kind of man makes a poor woman feel bad?”
The little pout she gave would have been adorable on a woman half her age; instead it just looked like a failed attempt at manipulation. True, she looked pretty hot with her lips pursed, her arms at her sides pushing her ample breasts to the forefront, and gnawing girlishly upon her lip, but in the mood Zaraki was in he couldn’t care less. Right then he wasn’t in the mood for ogling pretty women, all he wanted was to get those two idiots out his office and lay into Yumichika, maybe even spar with the guy and test his power out for himself. Besides, he knew full well he hadn’t really hurt Rangiku. Nothing ever hurt that woman, except Gin’s random disappearances and that Kira kid’s temper tantrums.
It was then he gave a little jump and smiled brightly, her cheeks flushed red slightly and her air whipping out with her movements. She even shrugged her shoulders a little and cocked her head to the side . . . No wonder his men had been so distracted, she was like a walking wet dream.
“If you must know, Zaraki-Sensei, I’m here on behalf of Gin! Although I would have came anyway to see your handsome face,” she winked and pointed to no particular direction. “See, poor Gin got the message, but it seems he’s been busy with some urgent work. That mean, old Aizen-sama had some emergency crop up, so he’s made poor Gin and Tousen-san go into work to help him out! Oh, I’m sure they have some incentive, but really! Poor Gin only just got off, and now he has to head straight to school, it’s not fair! That man really does work them to the bone!”
“He can’t be working them too hard considering Gin’s got tonight off.”
“Ooh! I heard all about his plans with little Kira-kun! In fact that’s why he sent me, someone’s got to pick the cute, little guy up after all! It’s a shame his parents are on another business trip, but you know what they say, ‘when the cat’s away’!”
“‘The fox comes out to play’? Listen, if you want that Kira kid that hurry up and get him. I’ve got things to do, and they don’t include playing nice with little girls who have nothing better to do than run errands.”
“Oh! You really are in a mean mood!” She gave a rather mischievous smile and winked in a very seductive way, before undoing the top button on her shirt, exposing her chest to a dangerous amount. “I bet I know what can cheer you up though!”
It was his turn to give a dangerous smile. This woman really didn’t change much at all, every time he saw her she’d flirt with just about anyone she saw, and yet she somehow managed to maintain her dignity despite it. It was strange. He knew for a fact that if any other woman exposed herself to such a degree, and flirted with men on a nearly constant basis, that they’d be constantly gossiped about and hated by nearly every other woman in the civilised world. Somehow Rangiku never got the same bad press, and no matter how she acted everyone seemed to fawn over her and adore her. Maybe it was the fact that no matter how sexually forward she acted she never actually crossed the line, refusing to put out like a whore and keeping her conquests to a reasonable level, or maybe it was just because she looked like a goddess and had the most personable personality in existence. The way Zaraki saw it she was incredibly lucky. If anyone else acted in such a way they’d be labelled quite negatively for sure. Then again that was Rangiku for you . . . one of a kind.
“Whatever. Do your shirt back up. If someone gets the wrong idea and Byakuya finds out then I’ll beat your ass to a pulp, you got that, woman?”
“Aw! You’re already threatening to beat up a defenceless woman, it really must be love!” She quickly buttoned her shirt and gave a high bounce in the air. “You’re so cute at times, Zaraki-Sensei!”
“I can’t tell if you’re being sincere or sarcastic . . . Whatever, just follow me.”
He headed at a leisurely pace along the corridor, ignoring the ‘ooh’ and ‘ah’ that occasionally came from Rangiku as she fawned over the things she saw. It seemed the certificates, trophies and photos were fascinating to her, and occasionally she’d giggle at old photographs of Zaraki, where he’d have his hair down or be wearing a casual yukata. He wasn’t as bothered by her behaviour as he might have been. It was nice to stop every so often and talk about the fights long since past, pointing to certain kendo or martial art moves and explaining how they worked, and to his surprise Rangiku actually understood what he was talking about too. The only part he could – with all honesty – say that he hated was one particular photo near the end; framed quite largely next to his office door . . .
It was a testament to how little he came down here, and how much administrative work he made his men do in his place. The photo frame had a thin layer of dust over it so it’d obviously been there for a while, and he could honestly say that if he’d seen the photograph of Gin having kicked his ass in a kendo match he’d have destroyed it at once. He had no idea when the fox-faced bastard had hung the photograph there, but his prank wasn’t one that he appreciated. If it weren’t for the fact he’d helped Zaraki make a date with Byakuya, along with Kyoraku’s help, then he’d have kicked his ass first thing when he next saw him. Luckily Rangiku pretended not to see the photo as he pulled it down from the wall, mentally planning how he’d be able to sneak a humiliating photograph of Gin into his classroom, before realising he’d probably need help playing a prank like that. Heh, it didn’t matter, for now he had bigger concerns. He quickly turned and opened his office door; ready to step inside, when he saw something that forced himself and Rangiku to stop dead in their tracks.
His office wasn’t like any of his friends or colleagues, and it sure as hell wasn’t anything like Byakuya’s. Gin’s office was filled with random items and lots of photos and pictures, Rangiku’s was so messy it’d make a maze look easy to navigate, and Byakuya’s had been stark, empty and barren and contained items so expensive that it reeked of wealth and status. In contrast his office was not like any of theirs. There was no spark of personality or individuality, he didn’t use his space to put across any kind of message, it was just a practical area designed for work he couldn’t care less about. Who needed photos or expensive stuff when you were supposed to work in the dump? Who in their right mind would let mess pile up when it wasn’t constructive to work? Nah, it wasn’t like his friends’, but that made it a lot more convenient at times, and now was one of them.
It was a small room. The window at the back only allowed a small flicker of natural light to shine inside, and with the tiny computer desk and two filing cabinets the room was essentially full. There was literally enough space for two people to stand comfortably, but that was all, and that was all he needed, after all it only took one person to do the paperwork, so what was the point in excess space? The bright side was that it made things easy to find . . . very easy to find.
Kira-kun was seated behind the desk, leaning back on the office-chair at an awkward angle, with his arms rested on the windowsill and his head on his hands. His blond hair was covering his face and his breathing was slow, it looked like the kid was sleeping, and tightly grasped in one hand was a mobile phone that had a screensaver of Gin flashing on its screen. Ugh, young love. Could anything be more sickening than having a picture of your boyfriend with you wherever you go? If his relationship with Byakuya ever got to the point where he’d open his phone and see that smarmy face staring back at him, he’d shoot himself. No way would he ever get that dependent on someone else to make him happy. It wasn’t that he wasn’t romantic or anything, in fact he was sure that he could be if he ever felt bothered enough to try, but there was just something creepy about being so loved-up that people felt inclined to act the way Gin and Kira did. The way Kira had looked at Gin with such adoration, or the way Gin acted so possessive and obsessive . . . yeah, so what if Kyoraku found it cute, or if Rangiku acted like a schoolgirl each time she saw such ‘affection’, he still found it bloody weird. It reminded him of that old film each time he saw them, with some creepy stalker-love that ended in violence. Then again, he’d rather have that kind of love than the kind Yumichika and Ikkaku had any day, because if loving someone meant kissing an old friend in their sensei’s office, then it was really something not worth having at all.
The feathered-faced freak was locked in an embrace with the scarred-faced guy, his hands raised up against his chest as if unsure whether to push away or pull him closer, and meanwhile the scarred guy was running his own hands indecently over Yumichika’s body. In normal circumstances he couldn’t have cared less what the hell these two got up to, but considering Yumichika’s relationship to Ikkaku he did care, because as much as he hated to admit it that kid was almost like a son to him . . . sure an ungrateful, bastard son who was probably a disgrace to his family name, but a son nonetheless. Frankly he would have punched Yumichika in that pretty face of his, if it weren’t for Rangiku clamping a hand on his shoulder to stop him, as she perked up and peered around Zaraki to see what was going on.
“Ooh! You never told me about this, Ayasegawa-san! You are a naughty boy, you better hope that Muguruma-san doesn’t find out about this, because it’ll ruin your modelling career!”
It was then that everything seemed to happen at once. Huh, maybe it was true; maybe Rangiku really was a special woman. He doubted anyone else alive could wake Kira with a single sentence, or cause two men to break away from a kiss that passionate, and yet somehow she’d managed just that. Not only that but the reaction of Yumichika was certainly . . . unexpected.
At once Yumichika pushed the scarred-faced kid away with such force that he nearly fell over his own two feet, the only thing stopping him was the fact Zaraki’s office was no bigger than a box, and the moment he moved backwards a large filing cabinet stopped his fall. The next thing Zaraki saw Yumichika had pulled back his hand as far as it would go and backhanded the guy right across his scarred cheek, causing him to groan and clutch his face in pain. It struck Zaraki as a little underhanded considering the bastard had obviously enjoyed the kiss and reciprocated, but frankly if the guy couldn’t defend himself against such an obvious blow then he was asking for it, after all there were no rules in war, it was kill or be killed . . . or slap or be slapped in this case. Of course, even Zaraki had to draw the line somewhere, and what Yumichika did next was certainly what he considered crossing the line.
“How ugly! Such behaviour is most unwarranted!”
Kira was already on his feet by this point. He’d stashed his phone away into his jeans pocket, and was smoothing out the creases in his shirt, although he hadn’t much to worry about considering how his parents weren’t home and his teacher was also his boyfriend. He was admittedly looking a little out of it, but with a raging hangover, about two hours of sleep, and waking up to find his two friends kissing then fighting, who could blame him? Although as far as Zaraki was concerned the words he spoke next were what sealed Yumichika’s actions, if it wasn’t for that one question then maybe he’d have never acted out of turn.
“Huh? Are you guys fighting?” He said as he blinked sleep from his eyes. “What happened, I could have sworn I saw Hisagi-Sempai kiss you, is that what he did?”
“What? No!” Hisagi shouted. He raised his hands high in a defensive gesture, looking at Kira aghast. “I did no such thing! Yumichika was the one who kissed me, I didn’t so much as touch -!”
Even Rangiku had to wince as Yumichika quickly heaved up his leg and kneed the scarred kid sharply in the groin. Zaraki flinched slightly to himself in sympathy, although he had to smile at Yumichika’s audacity, and watched as the scarred guy collapsed to the floor slowly with tears in his eyes. It was amusing in a really not-so-amusing way, and frankly he didn’t understand any of what just happened at all. All Yumichika did was dust off his knee as if it’d somehow been contaminated, then lifted his head high in the air with a look of contempt.
“Disgusting.”
That was the only thing he said before making a dramatic motion of dusting his hands, before he marched smartly out of the office and pushed past Rangiku and Zaraki. He didn’t even glance back as he walked straight along the corridor and into the main training hall, and assumedly out of the academy altogether. Rangiku was already giggling like a child, and all Zaraki could do was smile like a sadist, watching as the kid on the floor looked completely baffled and agonised.
The only thing that made the situation better was Kira’s startled response, as he looked around the room with an expression of almost terror, with his blue eyes shimmering as he seemed completely lost. Even his voice was shaking when he asked loudly for all to hear:
“Did I miss something?”
It was at that point Zaraki let out a sharp, barking laugh. It was rare for him to share an emotion so strongly with Rangiku, but even he had to see the humour in the situation, because boy Kira could be one heck of an unobservant guy.
“Put it this way kid,” Zaraki said, “you’ll never see a moment like that again.”
- 18
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- 20
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Romance and Rivalries