My Best Friend and My Captain
Rukia walked down the hallway towards her captain's office to deliver her reports to him. All the while she thought fondly of her time as a lieutenant of the 13th Division and how proud she was to serve under such a kind and gentle captain. Captain Jushiro Ukitake was widely known as the kindest person in Soul Society. Rukia still remembered the first time she met Captain Ukitake. She was a nervous wreck sweating profusely while stuttering like an idiot. Captain Ukitake immediately silenced her with that gentle smile of his and told her that it was a pleasure to meet her. Rukia new right then and there that she was lucky to have met such a caring captain who was there for her and the rest of the 13th Division no matter what. Now as a lieutenant, Rukia could only appreciate everything that her captain did for her more. Rukia sighed in content as she continued on her way over to her captain's office.
"Yo Rukia."
Rukia looked over to see Ichigo walking up behind her. Rukia narrowed her eyes.
"What are you doing here, Ichigo?" asked Rukia.
Ichigo shrugged.
"I was in the neighborhood just decided to drop by," said Ichigo.
Rukia lifted a brow.
"Really? You've been 'dropping by' a lot lately," said Rukia.
Perhaps some clarification is in order. During the past few weeks, Ichigo had been visiting Soul Society frequently, the 13th Division in particular and Rukia knew Ichigo enough to know it wasn't for her. He seemed to constantly want to visit her captain although she never fully understood why. Sure they had grown quite a bond as of late, the details unknown to her to this day; but Ichigo never really visited his other friends that often.
"So?" came Ichigo's snide remark.
Rukia rolled her eyes. She knew that it would be impossible to get anything out of somebody as stubborn as Ichigo.
"Whatever, just don't take to much of my captain's time, he's busy enough as it is," said Rukia.
Ichigo's face twisted into an odd expression of humor and knowing for a split second at the word 'he' before he reverted back to his scowl.
"Yeah, yeah whatever," he replied.
When the two reached the Ugendo, Rukia knocked on the door.
"Taichou, may I come in?" asked Rukia.
"Aa, you may enter Rukia-chan," came the gentle voice of her captain.
Rukia entered with Ichigo lagging behind. Inside, her captain worked diligently, his had gliding across the page. He looked up and smiled at her.
"What may I do for you Rukia-chan?" he asked.
"I'm here to deliver my reports, sir," announced Rukia with a bow.
Captain Ukitake smiled and nodded.
"Ah yes, thank you! Good work!" he said.
Rukia bowed again.
"Arigato, Taichou."
Captain Ukitake nodded and was about to go back to work when suddenly he stopped and looked behind her no doubt at Ichigo. Rukia could have sworn that her captain's smile got a hundred times brighter.
"Ah! I-Kurosaki-kun! What a pleasant surprise!" he said.
Rukia looked back at Ichigo, who stood in the doorway smirking.
"Yo J-Ukitake-san," said Ichigo.
Rukia furrowed her brows and the corrections. She wasn't so dull as to not catch the subtle corrections and figure out that they were on a first name basis. Her thought was on why that was the case. And the way they were looking at one another suggested that there was something more going on than just a simple friendship. That couldn't be right though, Ichigo was straight as far as she knew… right?
"Well, if there's nothing more you need of me, Taichou, I should get back to work," said Rukia.
"Oh? Are you sure you don't want to have some tea with us, Rukia-chan?" asked Captain Ukitake.
"You should unwind every once in a while, Rukia," piped in Ichigo.
Rukia gave him a slight glare before bowing to Captain Ukitake.
"I must decline but thank you for offering, Taichou, good day."
With that Rukia turned and walked out closing the door behind her before she started walking back towards barracks. Or at least she was until the questions that she managed to keep at bay that whole conversation hit her all at once. She still wanted to know why Ichigo and her captain reacted the way they did and why Ichigo constantly visited. Rukia stopped at the end of the bridge in thought. She looked back at the small little office that was her captain's debating on whether she should sate her curiosity or simply make her way back to the barracks. Unsurprisingly curiosity won out and Rukia found herself tiptoeing back towards the Ugendo hugging her spiritual energy close to her to avoid detection. Soon enough she started hearing Ichigo's voice. She settled herself in a comfortable spot to start her eavesdropping.
"…and Yuzu's been trying out this new recipe she saw in a cookbook while browsing through books at the local bookstore," said Ichigo, "I think you would like it since you said you loved chocolate."
Rukia blinked. She had never known that Ichigo trusted her captain enough to open up to the point where he was talking about his personal life with him. Well there's her captain for you, managing to tame even the most stubborn of people such as Ichigo.
"Is that so? It's a shame I can't try it…"
Rukia blinked at the other voice. That definitely did not sound like her captain. Last time she checked, her captain wasn't a woman… right? That voice was definitely a female's voice.
"Thought you might say that," chuckled Ichigo, "That's why I took the liberty of bringing you these."
There was some shuffling and a delighted gasp.
"Oh Ichigo you shouldn't have!" gushed the mysterious woman.
"Anything for my Jushiro," chuckled Ichigo.
Rukia almost released her hold on her spiritual pressure in surprise. She had every right to be for she just found out two very crucial things: 1) Her best friend was in love with her captain. 2) Her captain was not a man, he was a woman! Rukia got up and marched straight to the door and thrust it open. She had to confirm her suspicions. When she did she could only stare as she saw Ichigo and Captain Ukitake seemingly drinking tea as if nothing else was happening. Her captain looked up at her with that same smile.
"Ah Rukia-chan! Is there something wrong?" asked her captain, his voice back to the familiar masculine voice.
Rukia blinked and looked around.
"Oy, Rukia, what are you looking for?" asked Ichigo lifting a brow.
Rukia ignored him and looked to her captain.
"Is there… somebody else in here?" asked Rukia.
Captain Ukitake cocked his head.
"No, not that I know of," he said.
Rukia blinked and took her captain in. That face… so angular and slim… it would look so perfect on a woman…
"Rukia-chan?"
Rukia shook her head to clear out her musings.
"Sorry taichou, my mistake, you have a good day," said Rukia before walking out.
She had no idea what she had heard, but she knew one thing for sure, Ichigo was going to have to answer a lot of questions when her captain is done talking to him.
Ichigo looked at the door Rukia exited from for a while before turning back towards Jushiro.
"Is there a reason why we didn't tell her that we knew she was sitting there?" asked Ichigo.
Jushiro giggled.
"Oh let her think that we didn't know, it would be a lot more fun!'
Ichigo chuckled at this.
"You're so bad, Jushiro," said Ichigo moving beside the most definitely female captain.
The said captain leaned her head on his shoulder still giggling.
"I know, but I know you love me anyway," she said.
"Damn right I do," said Ichigo giving her a quick peck on the lips.
FIN