Title: Static

Pairing: Hisagi Shuuhei x Kira Izuru

Rating: PG-13 because blood and the slaughter of masked monstrosities are involved.

Warnings: Yaoi. Mild violence (poor Hollows)

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

A/N: And I did not post this here why? Ugh. Holes in my brain, srsly. To those of you awaiting the next chapters of my other multi-chaptered fics, forgive me for taking so long. This is the fic I am concentrating on now, but I've not given up on the others! Just a heads up, my pretties.

Summary: Post-SS arc. Betrayal is a blade that cuts deeply, and you have to wonder who you can really trust.

In this chapter: Hisagi helps a wounded Kira, and proximity takes its toll.

Kazeshini made a satisfying crunch as it clove through a hollow's mask, ripping flesh from bone. The creature reared back and screeched in pain before it shimmered away into nothingness, its dying scream fading out into the night just as the another hollow shrieked and lunged at Hisagi.

Without thinking, he moved, launching another offensive. There was a blur of white and gold as Kira met him halfway, decapitating the hollow from behind just as Hisagi sliced through its torso. Another one appeared and yet another. Sweat gathered across Hisagi's brow as he blocked blow after blow with Kira at his side. Slowly but efficiently they cleaned the area of the abominable beasts until Hisagi felt Kira's reiatsu flare up then explode. The entire square was suddenly engulfed in bright white light and Hisagi threw his arms up to shield his eyes.

When the light faded and Hisagi could see again the hollows were gone. A cold moment of panic gripped him when he couldn't find Kira then relaxed when he spotted him standing to one side of the square, breathing heavily. Even in the almost total darkness, the blond's hair shone under what little light the night had to offer. Kira let out a soft sigh and Hisagi, knowing what was coming next, switched to shunpo and caught him as he fell, their zanpakutous falling useless to the ground. Together they sank down on the cold cobblestones, dark hollow blood drying on their skin, and silent save for their panting breaths.

"We're getting too old for this," Hisagi muttered after a few moments of silence. Beside him Kira groaned tiredly in agreement. The blond had his eyes closed and his brows were drawn together as he tried to catch his breath.

"The others?" He asked softly, his arm moving across his torso to clutch a stitch on his side.

"They'll be fine," Hisagi assured him. "They're tough. And I think we got the worst of it." Kira nodded and Hisagi moved so they could lean against the nearest wall. The movement made Kira gasp, and his face tightened in pain. Hisagi looked at him in alarm and his gaze dropped to the hand Kira had clasped to his side. His fingers were red with blood.

Hisagi took a deep breath. "Let me see," he said with calm urgency.

Kira opened his eyes and blue shone bright in the darkness. "It's nothing," he argued but Hisagi would have none of it. Quick fingers gripped his wrist and gently but firmly moved his hand until the brunet could see the wound through the tear in his uniform.

"A puncture wound," Hisagi said but Kira shook his head.

"It's not." The blond tried to scoot away but Hisagi was already moving, pushing him back so he was settled against the cold stone wall. Kira tried to evade his hands and catch his gaze but the brunet had his eyes focused on the wound, dark brows furrowed in concentration and worry.

A cool finger pressed down on the wound and Kira hissed in pain. Hisagi looked up quickly and their eyes met for a moment. Something seemed to flash between them and Kira slowly stilled under Hisagi's hands as the brunet continued his examination. Hisagi poked and prodded around the wound gently, growing increasingly flustered at the blood wetting his fingers.

"Right," he said after a while. "Not a puncture wound." He looked away and made a show of digging into his pockets for something so he wouldn't see Kira's indulgent smile.

Kira stifled a snort and gazed at him fondly, feeling affection well up from somewhere inside him. The wound wasn't all that bad. He wouldn't have worried about it the way Hisagi did and seeing the normally stoic brunet so flustered amused Kira to no end. He watched his friend pat himself down over and over again and sighed.

"You could never be in the fourth division, Hisagi-san," he said as he reached into his own pocket. "You wouldn't know what to do." He fished out some gauze and promptly handed it to his friend.

Hisagi's lip twitched at the honorific but he took the offered gauze wordlessly. Now that he knew Kira's wound wasn't serious he had lost most of the urgency but still retained the concern. "I'll never be as good as you when it comes to healing anyway," he said as he fumbled with the gauze wrapper then set it aside. "You'll have to remove your top."

Kira nodded and sat up a little straighter. Hisagi moved to help him peel his uniform off his shoulders until he could see the wound clearly. It was a long jagged cut along one side of his abdomen, just below his ribs. It looked angry against Kira's pale skin but otherwise wasn't serious at all. "It's not too deep and I don't think it's poisoned," Hisagi said as he wiped the blood from the cut and peeled the gauze away from its wrapper. He gently placed it over the wound and smoothed it firmly into place. "This should stop the bleeding but you should still have it checked out at the fourth as soon as we get back." He pressed down on the gauze one last time then looked at Kira. "I think you'll survive," he said with a grin.

Kira meant to smile back but ended up blinking at the proximity of his friend's face instead. He felt his own face heat up. Hisagi was far too close and a strange wave of longing swept through him all of a sudden. It had been too long since he had had more than the perfunctory physical contact with anyone. Rangiku had held him to her after Ichimaru deserted them and Momo, when she had finally woken up, had cried into his chest and let him cry into her hair throughout her first night back with them.

But once the shock of the betrayal had subsided, once the deluge of grief was dammed, they had all tiptoed on eggshells around him as though they were afraid one wrong move would shatter him beyond repair. Kira's heart clenched painfully in his chest when he realized he couldn't remember the last time any of his friends came to see him or the last time he talked—really talked—to any of them.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Hisagi's voice pulled him back from his gloomy thoughts and Kira looked at him to see that he had pulled away so that they were at a comfortable distance from each other again. He swallowed a sigh of relief and gathered his thoughts about him. In the turmoil that was his life after his Captain left, only Hisagi had stayed with him—really stayed with him. Maybe it was because the betrayal cut Hisagi as deeply as it cut him and they somehow understood each other better than any of the others could. In any case, Kira was grateful and would never do anything to damage what he had with his friend.

"They're not worth that much," he said after a few moments and smiled when Hisagi did.

A cool breeze blew past them and Kira's attention was brought back to his half-naked state. He flushed and Hisagi blinked in surprise then smirked once he realized what it was all about.

Kira's flush deepened and he rolled his eyes. "Thank you, Doctor Shuuhei," he said sarcastically and started fumbling with his uniform. "Now help me get dressed before the others arrive and accuse you of sexual harassment."

Hisagi laughed and started helping him back into his uniform. They reached for Kira's left sleeve at the same time and their fingers brushed against each other. Kira tensed slightly at the unexpected contact then let it pass. "Thanks," he muttered when Hisagi smoothed the heavy fabric over his chest with his hands.

"Does it still hurt?" Hisagi asked, his eyes glued to where Kira's wound was hidden beneath his uniform.

"Not much," The blond patted the wound through the cloth.

Hisagi grinned. "Think you can make it home without dying on me?"

"Hisagi-san, I can make it all the way to the war if you want," Kira said then gasped. He looked up suddenly as if his brain had just caught up with his words and then seemed to deflate right before the brunet's eyes. "Sorry," he muttered and went quiet.

Hisagi frowned and tried to look his friend in the eye. When the blond kept his head down he gave up and sighed. Having known the blond as long as he had, he had seen Kira's mood swings before—too many times to count, in fact. Kira had been known to go from ecstatic to edgy or calm to livid in two seconds flat. But it had never been anything Hisagi couldn't handle. Only lately had he noticed that ever since Aizen's defection Kira had been lapsing into longer and more worrying gloomy spells. They never talked about it and he knew that was a mistake yet to ask his friend about it…Hisagi didn't want to know how it would turn out. He couldn't deal with it, not right now when his own hurts were still healing.

In front of him, Kira stayed silent. Hisagi shook his head and decided to let the matter go. "Listen," he said finally and drew the blond's attention back to him. "Be more careful next time, okay?"

Kira smiled gently, the awkwardness from earlier already gone. "You're one to talk," he said, lifting a hand to touch Hisagi's cheek. When he pulled it back, there was blood on his fingers. Hisagi lifted his own hand to where Kira had touched him. It stung. "Shit," he muttered and went about finding some gauze for himself.

Kira fished into his own pockets looking for one and frowned when he couldn't find any. He heard Hisagi mutter something about having some somewhere and suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. "Here, let me." He moved to kneel alongside his friend and lifted a hand to Hisagi's cheek again, letting it hover about an inch from actually touching him.

Hisagi went still as soft blue light started to radiate from Kira's palm. Within moments he felt the wound start to sting and he winced. "That hurts," he complained and Kira grabbed his chin firmly with his other hand. "Keep still," he heard the blond mutter and he sighed and tried to do just that. Slowly he felt the wound knit itself. He clenched his jaw against the minor discomfort until it disappeared entirely and he felt Kira's finger trace a fine line across his cheek where the wound used to be.

"Thanks," he said with a smile and traced his own thumb across the newly healed skin. It itched a little but he didn't think anyone in the fourth division could have done a better job. There was movement in front of him and he looked up to see Kira sway on the spot. He automatically caught him and settled him on his back against the wall.

The blond smiled in thanks. "Sorry," he said and leaned his head back against the wall. He closed his eyes. He was absolutely exhausted.

"That blast spell you used earlier," he heard Hisagi say, concern laced in his voice. "That was in the sixties, wasn't it?"

"Blast spell sixty-three."

Hisagi let out a low whistle of admiration. "Wow," Hisagi said with exaggerated awe. He grinned when Kira opened his eyes and glared warningly. Compliments always made the blond uncomfortable so Hisagi made sure he took his extolling a step higher than he usually would with anyone else. He always meant them, though.

"When did you learn it?" He asked. Kira had closed his eyes again and mumbled something unintelligible. Hisagi wondered worriedly if maybe his friend had used too much kidou for one night. He brushed Kira's cheek with a finger to wake him.

Kira felt warmth from an unknown source gently caress his cheek and he unconsciously sought it out. He opened his eyes. Hisagi's face was again inches from his own, hovering over him worriedly. The stray thought that Hisagi had such fascinating eyes and that it was impossible for the colour of steel to hold such warmth entered Kira's head. Without really thinking he reached out and gently traced the tattoo on the brunet's cheek.

Hisagi blinked. Something in the air around them changed. "Kira?" He said softly. His voice was hoarse and low. A gust of wind blew in, ruffling Kira's hair and blowing his bangs into his face. For a moment the spell seemed to break and Hisagi was able to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat from the look in Kira's eyes. He lifted a hand to brush the blond strands from Kira's face…

…just as the younger shinigami leaned up to kiss him.

It was so sudden, the contact electric. Hisagi almost drew back at the feel of Kira's lips on his. But it was familiar warmth, the blond's lips over his, and his body welcomed the contact, meeting Kira halfway. Long, elegant fingers combed through his hair and he found himself staring at the way Kira's lashes curled gently against his cheek before he let his eyes drift shut and his mind go blank.

He had kissed Kira before—had slept with him before. He knew the feel and taste of his skin, and the sounds he made if you touched him just right. The kiss was slow and tender, the way it always was when Kira made the first move. Warmth traveled through Hisagi's body in a slow unhurried wave when the blond got up on his knees and took his face in his hands. He wrapped an arm around Kira to steady him as the blond leaned in even closer, moving his lips over Hisagi's carefully, almost uncertainly, as if he hadn't already mapped out the other's skin down to the last inch. Hisagi threaded his fingers through Kira's blond hair and the younger shinigami sighed, his lips parting slightly against the brunet's.

Kira's eyes fluttered open momentarily when he felt Hisagi pull him tighter against him. A hand cupped his cheek and thumbed the smooth skin just above the arch of his cheekbone, making him shiver. He let his eyes slip shut. He had missed this; missed the feel of a warm body against his, missed the feel of strong arms wrapped around him. The hand in his hair tightened slightly and a soft moan escaped his lips.

Hisagi broke the kiss.

"What are we doing?" the brunet said breathlessly and Kira opened his eyes.

Hisagi was staring at him bewilderedly, quiet confusion clearly written on his face. Kira's heart thudded painfully in his chest. "I-I'm sorry," he stammered and felt his face heat up alarmingly. He pulled away from Hisagi, still disoriented, and was surprised when the older shinigami took his face in his hands and pulled him close. Kira held his breath until he felt the smooth skin of Hisagi's forehead against his. Sword-callused hands slid down his face and came to rest on his shoulders. He swallowed audibly when warm breath caressed his cheek.

"We shouldn't," Hisagi said gently. He tightened his grip on his friend when he felt the blond try to pull away. His body still tingled from the kiss they just shared but he ignored it and focused on his friend in an entirely different way. Leaning back slightly, he studied the younger shinigami under the dim moonlight without letting go of him.

Kira's eyes darted frantically from his former sempai's face to the ground and then back again, unsure of what to do, what to say. His mind raced, trying to think of something to break the ice. Neither of them moved, seemingly frozen in the moment, and Kira began to feel the weight of heavy silence fall over them slowly until he thought he could hear his own heart beating in his chest.

When he could finally meet Hisagi's eyes again, the brunet was still staring at him. It made Kira uncomfortable which was a bad sign. Hisagi never made Kira uncomfortable. He felt cold all of a sudden and when Hisagi opened his mouth to speak, he cut him off immediately.

"Don't," he said firmly, hoping it didn't sound too much like the plea it was. "Just...don't."

The brunet looked at him sadly and Kira turned away, ashamed. Hisagi saw the way the blond's cheeks burned and decidedly kept his mouth shut.

Then there was a disturbance in the night air as several shinigami flashed in at once. He and Kira were up in one fluid motion.

"Fukutaichou," a shinigami he recognized to be one of Kira's men bowed low. Kira quickly stepped past Hisagi to listen to the report.

"The town has been cleared of Hollows," the shinigami said. There was another whoosh of air as several more shinigami appeared, Hisagi's men among them. "There were no casualties, sirs, but Kimura is injured and can't be moved. Hayami stayed with him and we've called the fourth. They should be here shortly."

Kira nodded then turned to Hisagi. His eyes were absent of the emotions from earlier--cold and unreadable. It was the 3rd Division Lieutenant talking now. "Mission accomplished," he said and the brunet nodded, turning to his own men.

"Unlock the senkaimon," Hisagi ordered and his men rushed to comply. He could hear Kira giving instructions to his own men and was puzzled when one by one the members of the Third Division disappeared until only Kira and his third seat remained.

"You go ahead," the blond told him, nodding to the senkaimon which was beginning to open. "I have to check on my 5th seat."

"We can stay in case you need back-up," Hisagi said immediately but the blond shook his head.

"We'll be fine."

Hisagi started to protest when the blond leveled him with a defiant glare, the mask Kira always wore when on duty slipping ever so slightly. He bit back the reprimand that hovered on the tip of his tongue and turned to the shinigami standing behind Kira. "He's wounded," he said. Ignoring the way his friend's eyes flashed angrily, he spoke directly to the 3rd seated officer. "Have the fourth division take a look at him as soon as possible." He waited for the man to acknowledge his order before looking back at Kira.

"Bastard," the blond hissed. Hisagi smirked ruthlessly.

"The senkaimon has been successfully opened, Hisagi-fukutaichou."

Kira's eyes turned to the portal before looking back at Hisagi. His glare had grown icy. He nodded curtly then turned to leave. Hisagi grabbed his arm before he could, glaring at the younger shinigami.

"Kira…" he said warningly but the blond wrenched himself free.

"No," Kira said tightly then flash-stepped away, leaving Hisagi to stare at the empty space where he his friend had just been. Kira's third seat stared at him at a loss for words before he bowed almost apologetically and disappeared himself.

"Shit," Hisagi muttered, wondering if he should go after his friend.

"Fukutaichou?" Someone called behind him and he turned to see all his men staring at him, waiting for instructions. Can't even get through a portal without being told what to do, he thought to himself irately as he stared at their faces. He immediately regretted thinking it. It wasn't their fault they had to look to him now. He turned back to look in the direction Kira took off in and sighed.

"All right, let's go," he said and stepped toward the glowing portal. His men followed quietly behind him and Hisagi let himself disappear into the light without a backward glance.

TBC


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