Title: Dancing With the Devil

Author: St. Harridan

Rating: T

Fandom: Bleach

Character(s)/Pairing(s): Madarame Ikkaku, Zaraki Kenpachi

Theme: 4 - Dancing with the devil

Genres: Humour, Friendship

Warnings: Kenpachi-style swearing.

Words: 659

Summary: Ikkaku revels at his captain's immense strength, making a false move in the process.

Disclaimer: Do not own Bleach.

No matter how many times Ikkaku sparred with his captain, there never came a moment when he wasn't amazed by how much strength the man possessed. Power seemed to emanate from his very being, raw and untamed. That was the most dangerous form of might. There was no telling just what that amount of strength was capable of besides that it could slash through concrete skyscrapers and crush bones of steel without breaking a sweat.

Speaking of sweat, Ikkaku was bathed in perspiration, so much that he felt like he had just came out of the shower. His robe clung uncomfortably to his skin, limiting any form of swift movement and therefore putting him at a horrible disadvantage.

Speed. Ikkaku always claimed to be the fastest of the two; between him and Yumichika. Although no one would have guessed it if they saw the bulk of his bankai, Ikkaku possessed quick reflexes and a quick wit, allowing him to achieve the upper hand in most battles with Hollows and their slow ilk.

But with this man, there was no guarantee for the upper hand to belong to Ikkaku. In fact, it was nigh impossible. He frequently uttered his dislike of flash-steps, but there was no doubt at all that he was highly skilled in it. Even without using flash-steps, Ikkaku found it difficult to catch up with his speed. Before, he couldn't even see the man's blade until it clashed with his own and when it was already too late to perform a counterattack. Now, Ikkaku managed to catch glimpses of the sword before it struck, making dodging a little easier than when it once was impossible. Ikkaku thought that managing to evade just one swing of that blade was quite an accomplishment in itself.

In his peripheral vision, Ikkaku caught sight of the said blade and immediately darted to the left. He gritted his teeth when he felt the sword's jagged edge rip apart the skin of his forearm, but forced himself to maintain a cool stature as he saw the smirk on his captain's face.

"Nice dodge," he said before thrusting forward. Ikkaku blocked the attack with his blade, which, he was all too aware of, a stupid thing to do. The muscles of his arms screamed in protest as he tried with all his might to push the other man away, but the effort was clearly in vain.

Ikkaku felt the ground beneath him giving way as he faltered in his defense. Earth crumbled under his feet, forming a crater larger than the previous one when Ikkaku encountered the man and fought him for the first time.

The man's strength was endless. He was able to direct so much force into his zanpakuto through one-handed combat, a sight Ikkaku had never seen with anyone else.

For a moment, Ikkaku felt the pressure of the blade upon his own lift. His arms stopped their screaming, replaced with strong throbs of pain.

Ikkaku had been foolish to think that that was a time for respite, for the next thing he was aware of was the cold, sharp tip of Zaraki Kenpachi's nameless zanpakuto resting against his throat. The captain didn't look pleased.

"What the fuck are ye doin', Ikkaku?"

"What the hell d'you mean?" Ikkaku muttered, refraining himself from swallowing his sudden anxiety. He felt subtle spikes of a more than familiar spiritual pressure pattern as they stung the surface of his skin. "I'm sparrin' with you, ain't I?"

"Che." Kenpachi pressed the blade to Ikkaku's throat with enough force just to squeeze out a thin trail of blood. "That ain't sparrin', it's fuckin' dancin', dumbass." He withdrew and scoffed again at the smirk spreading the sides of Ikkaku's mouth. "Do it again and I'll pull off a god damn dance at your fuckin' funeral."

That only made Ikkaku's smirk grow wider. "Dyin' seems to be a helluvva lot more interestin' now that ye mentioned it."

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