Shuuhei slumped awkwardly over the edge of the hot spring, sake bottle rolling from his fingers and splashing back into the water. Kira followed it's descent with his eyes until it bounced as it hit bottom. Sighing, Kira watched the battle float under the water and couldn't bring himself to leave it alone. "Sake bottles don't belong at the bottom of the hot spring," he muttered, a slur to the unnecessary sentence. Bending to grab the bottle, his head went below water and Kira stopped for a moment, letting his ears fill with water. The heat pounded in on him. What a lovely feeling, he thought as black spots popped along the back of his closed eyes.

Shuuhei looked over his shoulder at the pale form of Kira, floating just below the surface. Hadn't he been down there too long? Sighing, he reached over with one hand and grabbed his fellow vice-captain by the shoulder, dragging him up out of the water. He set the poor man next to him, Kira's face pressed against the cool stone ledge. "Damn it, Kira. Don't do that." Shuuhei's voice was thick with alcohol, but the tone was still exasperated. Kira made a small noise and reached for another bottle of sake. How often had Kira found an opportunity to do something like that today? Three, four? Suuhei would have to report them to Captain Unohana now and Kira would have to go back for more worthless counseling. Because everyone can see that all the other appointments have helped. The very thought of those sessions made Shuuhei want to bury his head the the water along with Kira. How embarrassing.

Kira looked up at Shuuhei, his hair bedraggled and steaming from the water, "Apologies, vice-captain Shuuhei" murmured Kira with a strangled sob.

Shuuhei knew that it pained Kira to be around other vice captains. Hell, it pained him as well, but really, who else could he be with? Who else could understand? He saw himself in Kira's eyes and what he saw made the pain sharper but also soothed it. Mourning was a tricky thing. He tried to smile at his grieving double, "Don't worry about it, Kira. It's tempting for me too."

Kira sighed wistfully, "It was starting to get really lovely before you pulled me up."

Shuuhei nodded absently, which terrified him. "Is that sake bottle still down there", Shuuhei asked, switching topics.

"Oh, yes. I'm sorry, I forgot about it", hiccuped Kira, "I'll go get it."

Shuuhei grimaced, "No, I'll get it."

Both men bent below the water. The heat pounded in on them. The dots came in faster and faster. Neither man came back up.

Abarai Renji shook his head and wadded over to the two floating bodies across the hot springs, hauling them both up unceremoniously and flopping them over the side again, "Dammit Shuuhei, I thought I only had to watch out for Kira's dumb-ass antics. Pull it together you two."

Kira was too polite to do anything but sputter out an soft apology. Shuuhei was far too mortified to speak, not to mention too full of water.

Renji leaned back against the ledge himself, worry crossing his face and then belligerent bravado, "Now I'll have to stay over here with you two for soggy company."

"It's not fair," Kira said softly, hiccuping ever so slightly now.

Renji raised an eyebrow as Shuuhei finished, "We were perfect."

Renji shrugged, "Gin and Tousen were bastards, it's not your faults."

"No..." said Kira, "It's that..."

"You went against Captain Kuchiki," Shuuhei added, as if it made sense and Kira nodded as if it did. Renji just looked more confused.

"Yes," Kira said, " We were perfect."

"So how is it, Renji, that you got to keep yours?" Shuuhei finished the two men's train of thought and then buried his head into his folded arms on the ledge. Kira was already there, head cradled in his own elbows and snuffling.

Pity made Renji place a soothing hand on each of his friend's heads. Pity fished the sake bottle from the bottom of the hot springs. Pity ordered another round.