Prompt: #1 - OTP
Summary: The differences that set the Eleventh and Thirteenth captains apart, and the ties that bind them
Yin & Yang
Ukitake Jushiro is the captain of the Thirteenth Division. With a long white mane as smooth as silk and a completely unblemished complexion, he is one of the most eligible bachelors in the Court of Pure Souls. In the Shinigami Women's Association picture book poll, he comes in second only to Kuchiki Byakuya. A dispute is still being held as to who should win the poll which sometimes result in fierce cat fights and the like. When he smiles, women, regardless of their marital status, swoon at the sight. He doesn't do it on purpose. In fact, he is somewhat embarrassed of his own innate ability to attract females.
He smiles, and nobody can escape his charm.
Zaraki Kenpachi is the captain of the Eleventh Division. He wears his long, unruly hair in spikes each topped by little bells that jingle whenever he jerks his head. They serve as a disadvantage to him in battle, and that is why he keeps them. He is not among the candidates of the Shinigami Women's Association picture book project. He doesn't like to take photos, and a simple candy bribe to the association's president has kept him out of the fiasco. When he grins, everyone immediately flash steps away. He lets that feral grin of his creep its way up his face, and someone's abdomen is slashed open.
Blood splatters on to his face, and he grins even wider.
Jushiro dislikes fighting. He has a unique zanpakuto which comes in the form of twin blades in its unsealed state. It is a representation of his zanpakuto spirit: twin boys who are no more than children, clothed in matching blue outfits. But he knows that it is next to impossible to avoid fighting when one is a shinigami. When he fights, it is because he is forced to. He has his own code of honour and refuses to fight in front of a child or even with a child, regardless whether he or she is the enemy. Children should not be exposed to violence, and Jushiro dreams of a time when no youngster has to touch a sword in defence.
He kills with compassion and, after a body falls at his feet, he hopes will all his might that that would be the last person he has to kill.
Kenpachi loves fighting. He owns a rather long sword with a jagged edge and a diamond-shaped cross guard. Unlike other shinigami, he wields it with only one hand. He has no clue regarding the name of his zanpakuto and although he may seem nonchalant about it, he is struggling inside to learn what it is called. He knows the pain of not having a name and every time he looks at his zanpakuto, he feels a stab of guilt deep within his chest. To erase that feeling, he cuts down every opponent he can find and takes pride in how much blood his zanpakuto is bathed in.
With every fallen body, he licks the blood from his lips and lusts for more.
Jushiro is looked up to by his division. He is described as being kind, caring and generous. Everywhere he goes, he is always seen with an easy smile gracing his soft features. His affability makes him one of the easiest – if not the easiest – person to talk to. There is many an occasion where he finds himself listening to someone's confessions. He is fed gossips, rumours and secrets, and accepts them all without question. He gives advice and assistance regardless of the circumstances.
To many of his comrades and subordinates, he is a role model and a friend to whom they can entrust their deepest, darkest secret to.
Kenpachi too is looked up to by his division. He has earned a title for himself: the Demon of the Court of Pure Souls. He finds it rather amusing. He goes everywhere with his pink-haired lieutenant clinging to his back. Many have worried about the child's wellbeing. He doesn't seem to be the fatherly type, but when they try to tell Yachiru that, she responds with, "Ken-chan lets me do anythin' I want. Do your daddies let'cha do that?" And when she comes home and complains to him about what they said, he brushes it off with a hearty laugh which brings a wide smile back to her face. Nobody tells him anything. Nobody confides in him. But every night, he narrates fairy tales to Yachiru till she falls asleep in his arms.
He may not be everyone's best friend, but to Yachiru he is her "Ken-chan" and that's enough for him.
Jushiro has never been in love. He seems to be the perfect example of a spouse, but surprisingly, he has never married. Despite the many women who approach him in hopes of gaining his hand in matrimony, some in subtle ways but several outlandish, he addresses them with respect and gives way to hints of gentle rejection. He does not want to hurt them, but they must be taught their place.
He knows the line between platonic relationships and romantic interactions, and he dares not step across it for reasons unknown to even himself.
Kenpachi has experienced love before. Some who look his way will dismiss the idea, but it is an absolute fact that the Demon has indeed been in love. Granted, he isn't one for courting a woman with romantic gifts and sweet talk, but that wasn't the method he used to approach his chosen female. In fact, it hadn't even been his own choice to court her. It just...happened. And he has to admit even now that those years were the happiest in all his godforsaken life in the 80th District. But they were also short-lived and, before he knew it, she was gone before he could even secure his hold on her. He doesn't have admirers now save for his little runt, and that's enough for him.
He has crossed the line; been to paradise, braved through hell, and resurfaced with scars littering his soul that not even time itself can hope to heal.
Jushiro is the heart of the sea. Waves bend to his every will. He wields his twin blades with a subtle confidence but, if not for the skills he shows in combat, he would have been mistaken for an amateur because of the respect he shows to his opponents. He swings the blades in graceful arcs in the air and cuts with a ferocity that will not only surprise those who do not know him, but also leave them wondering just how an ill man like him could possess so much strength.
He keeps his skills and talents well-hidden, and his sea green eyes are the only reflection of what really lies beneath that pale and sickly mask.
Kenpachi is the heart of the storm. The unconscious leaking of spiritual pressure from his very being is more than enough to bring a weaker shinigami to his knees. When he rips off the eye patch and unleashes his spiritual pressure, the battlefield transforms into a deadly plain of electricity. Sparks leap across the ground, threatening to shock anyone who dare tread into his territory. He is renowned for his remarkable power, as well as recognized as one of the strongest captains in the Gotei 13.
He revels in his own strength, and even a fool can guess just how much he possesses without even looking into those menacing storm grey eyes.
Ukitake Jushiro and Zaraki Kenpachi are two very different people. From their wardrobe to choice of meals to speech patterns, they are very much the opposite.
When Ukitake sighs in exasperation at his partner's infamous sense of direction, one would only see the irritation written on his face.
When Zaraki flashes a grin at his companion, a stranger would take one look at the man's sharp canine teeth and back away in an instant. "Someone's goin' to hell today," they'd say.
Kenpachi scoffs at the idea, but Jushiro lets an amused chuckle escape him as he places a reassuring hand on the larger man's arm. Kenpachi looks at Jushiro and frowns, wondering how the man could be so carefree about such foolish accusations, only to receive one of his tender smiles in return.
Oblivious to the child nestled between them, the two captains share a moment of silence that goes beyond the boundaries of trust and mere companionship.