A/N: This is my second story, this time with more of a natural plotline to it. It's based on Kaname Tosen and Shuuhei Hisagi and my OC, Akina Zakuri. Anyway, I hope you enjoy and let's get the ball rolling!

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, and I make no profit from this. I do own Akina, so please ask to use her.

"Kaname!" A petite redheaded girl vaulted herself at the Captain. "Everyone's ok?" The girl, Akina Zakuri, looked up at her companion, despite that he couldn't return her eye contact.

"Everyone's fine." Kaname Tosen gave her a small smile from behind his mask. He could practically feel happiness radiating off of her from that one little statement.

"That's great!" Akina bounced onto her toes, grinning. The faint blush, mostly from excitement, across her cheeks only accentuated the large scar across her left cheek.

"Are you alright?" Kaname touched her face softly.

Puzzled, Akina replied, "I've just been helping out with paperwork, nothing dangerous. Promise."

Kaname knew he really shouldn't worry; after all, Akina was low-ranked rarely submitted to fight. Still, Kaname couldn't help but worry. Unlike anyone else in Sereitei he knew what Akina's life had been like before he had taken her out of the slums of Rukongai.

"You look contemplative." Akina murmured, blinking. But she hadn't moved his hand away from her scarred cheek, and she seemed at home with him standing so close to her. "What are you thinking about?" She started to reach up, as to hold his hand, and then stopped.

"Akina, can you come here?" Akina's captain, Juushiro Ukitake, called.

"Of course!" Akina yelled back. Kaname felt her smile, but at the same time, he felt her jaw clench.

"Go. I'll talk to you later." He slowly, lowered his hand to his side.

"Right, right." Akina bounced onto her toes again and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. "Later!" She then bounced off, laughing and already talking animatedly to her captain.

Tosen listened for a minute, then turned away and headed for his division.

"Can I hang out with you?" Akina asked, hopping to sit on the edge of the counter.

Kaname was cooking, as he did in his free time. "You're always welcome. Just don't sit on the counter." Kaname smiled slightly as he heard her feet hit the floor.

"Darn it!" Akina huffed. "You didn't even turn towards me, how do you do that? Geez..." Anger gone almost immediately, she walked over to the stove.

"What did you get into?" Kaname frowned. Akina smelled strongly of dust and aged papers.

"I cleaned Captain Ukitake's office." Akina quickly moved away. "He's been having coughing fits in his office and I thought if the dust was gone it might help. I'll go take a shower if it's bothering you." Akina had backed up clear to the other side of the room.

"You're fine." Kaname assured her. Then, after a pause, he asked, "What would you do if I wasn't here?"

Akina looked up at him in horror. "You mean if you had never been here or if you suddenly disappeared?" Panic dripped into her voice and Kaname instantly felt bad.

"Never mind." He said evenly, but the damage was already done.

"Are you being sent to the world of the living or something?" Akina's voice tensed with worry. "Because I could ask to go with you. I don't-" She cut off abruptly when Kaname placed a gentle hand on top of her head.

"Hush." Kaname murmured, nudging his mask aside and leaning down to kiss her forehead gently. "You're not going to be promoted if you're nervous all the time." He scolded softly.

Akina scowled and stared at her feet, her face turning red. She'd been vying for a higher-ranking position since she graduated the academy, but secretly, Kaname was happy she hadn't gotten it. The few times he had tried to train her in battle, she had broken down to the point of having to be put under observation in the fourth division. It was best that she stayed on desk duty, for now at least.

"Something's burning." Akina's voice brought him out of his trance and he quickly stirred the pot on the stove. Tragedy averted, Akina's tone changed. "Are you ever jealous of people who can see?" She asked, tone nearly inaudible.

Kaname turned to her as he pushed his mask into place again, contemplating. Most people weren't brave enough to ask him that sort of thing, so he didn't have an immediate answer. "No." He said after a long moment. "Because I see people for who they are and don't have to look past their appearance." Stirring the stew, he wondered where she could possibly be going with this conversation.

"Is it wrong to be jealous of people who can do something you can't?" Akina's arm brushed his as she reached to turn off the stove. Kaname went silent, but Akina rushed on. "I'm so jealous of people who can fight. I want to be strong, I want to help... but every time I try to even practice, I..." Akina shuddered, no doubt remembering her time in practice sparring.

"Give it some time." Kaname patted her hair affectionately. "Right now, just try to enjoy being safe on desk duty." That seemed to placate the girl, so instead of continuing on that topic, he switched subjects. "Do you want to eat with me?" He calculated where he was and then opened the cupboard for bowls.

"No thanks." Akina grinned, seeming to have bounced back efficiently. "I've got some work to do and I need to talk to Captain Unohana after the captain's meeting is over. So I'll talk to you later." As usual, she gave him a lingering hug before dashing out the door.

As usual, Kaname relished that contact.

A/N: So there's the first chapter. I hope you liked it, but go ahead, review and tell me what you think, ok? So, what did you think?