Prompt: #10 - silver
Fandom: Bleach
Characters: Kira Izuru, Ichimaru Gin
Notes: Set just post-SS. Light spoilers for that arc.
Trigger warnings: Mentions the concept of rape/non-con briefly.
Izuru misses Ichimaru-taichou. Honest-to-god misses the man that led his division and was his immediate superior.
Izuru knows that they would think him a traitor for this thought. They already think so badly of the silver-haired captain of the third division; most of Seireitei branded the man a traitor faster and more easily than his fellow conspirators Aizen and Tousen.
When he meets with his fellow lieutenants, he can't help feeling exasperated by the ones that pity him for having a supposedly bad or evil captain, for having someone that was from the higher districts of the Rukongai. Izuru may be minor nobility, but he's never had much time for the theory that nobles were better than those of the Rukongai.
Sure, the man had some strange habits and spoke in a dialect that reminded people of thugs in the slums, but Ichimaru-taichou was never a thug, only from the slums.
The therapist he is assigned tells him that it's okay to be angry, to feel betrayed. He knows this already. He is angry and wants answers and feels like he's had his trust in the man trodden over.
The therapist also subtly implies that he can help Izuru come to terms with the sexual assualt his captain subjected him to.
He balks at this. Why would they think that Ichimaru-taichou would - could - do such a thing?
Izuru realises that to the outside world, the captain and vice-captain of the third division had a strange relationship. Ichimaru-taichou addressed him by his first name while in return, he only ever used his captain's title. He seemed meek and subservient to his captain, following his captain's every command.
But inside the division, where Izuru was much more comfortable with himself, he was a little different. More confident, not afraid to say things to correct or nudge his captain. And his captain had never tried to take advantage of him in any way - and certainly never in that way.
Ichimaru-taichou, while strange in habit, cared deeply for his men. Tried to keep them safe in the field of battle by training them to their peak. He sometimes helped out the members of his squad that he thought were struggling, especially if they had potential. He never made Izuru stay after hours to complete a day's paperwork, even though Izuru would offer to. Ichimaru-taichou would ask Izuru for a cup of tea and then cheerily but firmly dismiss Izuru to go get dinner and some rest.
Izuru had no doubt that in the event Ichimaru-taichou did come back, did want forgiveness, he would walk the silver path again.
A/N: Extended author's note available at oakleaffic-tumblr-com/post/43557736334/ (replace the - with .)
Above link contains spoilers for Bleach through to end of Winter War arc.
