Kira slowly surfaced from sleep. He was toasty warm with a thick comforter a pleasant weight on top of him. He inhaled deeply keeping his eyes firmly closed savoring the lingering smells of sweat, sex, and just a subtle metallic undertone of blood.

A smile spread over his lips as he wiggled deeper into his futon. He was deliciously sore. He savored that full body ache that went with being bone deep sated in every way. Kira smiled even more as he felt an arm tighten around his waist in protest of his squirming.

Kira finally opened his eyes to greet the morning and the man responsible for every satisfied inch of him. To his mild surprise, Ichimaru was still asleep. His taichou rarely stayed the night with him and when he did, he usually was awake before Kira even started to stir.

The blond turned slowly so as to not wake the sleeping man. Kira could look at his Taichou forever. The weak morning sunlight barely filtering into the room made Ichimaru's hair glow like spun silver. He had heard others say that in sleep everyone looked innocent and vulnerable but Kira knew it wasn't true. Looking on Ichimaru's face relaxed in sleep was to see the ever present grin missing and the dangerous man he was plainly revealed. The sight always made his breath catch in wonder. He reached out with stealthy fingers to steal a touch of those argent locks when steely fingers latched around a severely bruised wrist causing Kira to suck in a breath at the sudden pain. The fingers tightened hard pressing against the bones before gentling to stroke over the purple and red blooms forming under the younger man's skin. The thin lips, that Kira had admired moments before, started to spread to their usual menacing smirk as those ruby eyes opened ever so slightly to glint knowingly at the blond's startled expression.

"Greedy 'lil 'Zuru always wantin'," Ichimaru rolled to lean over the younger man before bringing Kira's hand to rest against his cheek. Kira blushed a delicate pink. He lowered his eyes from meeting his taichou's gaze to the looming man's lips. Kira's fingers brushed against the porcelain smoothness of Ichimaru's cheek. The older man's red eyes widened slightly as he bent down to press a hot kiss to Kira's throat. The blond's eyes fluttered shut as a sigh whispered from his parted lips. He arched his neck giving his taichou more access. When those hot lips worked their way up to Kira's mouth, he greeted them with all the greed that Ichimaru had ever accused him of.

Cool hands slid down the younger man's arms to lazily stroke sleep warmed skin burning hotter with every stroke of those hard fingers. Kira moaned loudly into the mouth covering his, his hand sliding from the older man's cheek to bury his fingers in his taichou's hair.

Ichimaru lifted his head to look at his fukutaichou spread out like a feast under him. Ivory cheeks flushed a pretty pink, big blue eyes slowly opening so filled with want, and that mouth wet and parted silently begging for more kisses. Kira trembled under that gaze, his lithe bruised body burned with the need to be petted and stroked and his beautiful cock stirred waiting to be played with.

"Izuru is sooo pretty in the mornin'." Ichimaru's voice was still sleep roughed as he crooned to the younger man. He slid one hand up to the younger man's throat ghosting a thumb over love bites and bruises left by fingers digging into the soft skin. His thumb slid up to the wet quivering lips rubbing across the blond's bottom lip. Kira watched his taichou through sleep tousled bangs as he flicked his tongue out to taste the older man, then moving his head to catch that thumb drawing it deeper into his mouth. He sucked on the thumb running his nimble tongue over each callous and tendon. For his efforts, he heard Ichimaru suck in a breath through his teeth. The silver hair man's eyes squeezed shut as he enjoyed the feeling before pulling his thumb free from Kira's hot mouth. The blond gave the thumb one last flick of his tongue before giving Ichimaru that little tiny smile that Kira knew got under his taichou's skin.

"And Taichou is tasty in the morning. Maybe if I am really good Taichou will let me find out just how good he taste." Kira's eyes slid down Ichimaru's body to stop on the growing evidence that he wasn't the only one affected by their playing. He returned his gaze to those wicked grinning lips.

Kira loved to watch Ichimaru plotting. He could almost see his taichou considering one idea after another of what he would make his fukutaichou do to get what both men wanted. The blond lay there as possibilities, each more debauched than the one before it, danced through his head. Ichimaru's grin went from knowing smirk to positively evil. Oh gods, this was going to be a goooooooood morning.

The younger man trembled under that evil gaze, melting at the heat in his taichou's half closed eyes, when a fluttering just over Ichimaru's shoulder caught Kira's attention. The delicate hovering so out of place in this hedonistic dream. Kira didn't want to be distracted this morning. This was a dream quality morning and he really didn't want the real world to intrude. Ichimaru immediately noticed his pet's attention was not where it was supposed to be…directed at him. The older man leaned down to rub his whole body against the blond's. He slid between the younger man's legs to grind his hips against the other man's. He pressed a hard kiss to Kira's lips nipping hard on his bottom lip.

"Ignore it…if we ignore it long 'nough maybe it will go away." The quiet command was issued against the blond's kiss swollen lips. Kira's eyes wanted to drift shut so he could stay with his taichou all day on his futon. Instead of he forced his eyes to actually focus on the black butterfly waiting to be acknowledged. The younger man sighed as all the entertaining possibilities he had been imagining came to a stuttering halt.

"You might want to find out what it is. It could be important." Kira raised a finger for the delicate messenger to land on.

Ichimaru followed his own advice refusing to let a little thing like a message shift his focus. The older man pressed kisses down the side of Kira's throat to his shoulder.

The butterfly landed on blond's finger, its message sliding silently into the fukutaichou's mind. With a shake of his finger, Kira dismissed the butterfly. He shuddered as Ichimaru went from kisses to nipping hard along the graceful curve of a collarbone. The younger man slid hot hands over the back of the man pressing him firmly into the mattress. He gasped out the message.

"You have a meeting…oh don't stop…one hour…"The last word ending on a throaty moan as Ichimaru gave a hard punishing bite on the tender skin at the curve of Kira's shoulder. The blond arched his back at the sharp pain, thrusting his hips up against his taichou. Hot skin rubbed against hotter skin, Kira wrapped wiry arms around the man biting him and pulled him closer. Ichimaru ran a line of hard stinging bites up the side of the younger man's neck up to the shell of his ear. Hard teeth nipped, a hot tongue stroked, a blond whimpered, a smooth tenor spoke into Kira's ear.

"Izuru had to find out what the lil butterfly wanted. And he disobeyed his Taichou to do it…what was 'Zuru thinkin'?" Kira wasn't thinking much of anything, he was too busy feeling. Ichimaru slid his body across the blond panting on the bed under him. The silver haired man moaned softly as he slid slender hands up the arms clutching him to the writhing body he was pressed against. He pulled the arms away from him even as Kira loosed a high pitched moue of protest. Ichimaru dragged the smaller man's arms up above the blond's hair, holding them to the bed. Switching his hold so that he had both of Kira's slender bruised wrists in one steely clasp; the vulpine man stroked his other hand down over the younger man's chest. Kira's toes curled; he spread his thighs more to bring the hard body above him closer. Ichimaru chuckled at the blond's response, his hand gliding over trembling abs to take his fukutaichou's hard cock in a sudden tight grip. A full throated moan ripped from the man pinned to the bed as his taichou fisted and pumped the meaty length of him. Ichimaru covered Kira's mouth in a hot carnal dueling of tongues.

"Please…"Kira's begged against his taichou's lips. He thrust into the cool hand wrapped around his throbbing erection.

"Greedy lil Izuru …shoulda thought of that… 'fore he listened to the butterfly." Ichimaru's hot breathe warmed Kira's skin as he whispered between kissing his way from his subordinate's begging lips to his ear pink with lust.

"'Zuru should spend his day figuring out how he is gonna show me how sorry his is for disobeying his Taichou." With that pronouncement Ichimaru dropped Kira's wrists then flung back the thick quilt to stand beside the bed in one lithe movement. Chill air raced over the super heated skin of Kira's naked aroused body like a bucket of ice water. Kira flinched back onto the bed. Ichimaru stood looking down on the thin blond grinning. Before Kira could even sputter a protest, Ichimaru had managed to pull on a uniform and was finger combing his silver hair. With a last leering perusal at the younger man, who had made no attempt to cover himself, Ichimaru quit Kira's bed room with a flourish of his hoari.

Kira laid there for several moments trying to collect his thoughts. It took his body a few of those moments to realize that the previous morning activities had come to an abrupt halt. With a sigh and a shiver as another cool breeze swirled through the door Ichimaru had left open, Kira finally stood to face the day. As Kira walked over to his dresser to pull out a fresh uniform, he couldn't help but smile a bit at the occasional twinge as muscles protested at being forced to move after last nights activities.

Kira dreamily pulled on his uniform as tonight's possibilities ran through his head. Maybe a massage? He had bought some scented oils last time he went into Rukongai… these pleasant thoughts were interrupted by yet another butterfly. With a sinking heart and a brief thought as to what had he ever done to these fluttering messengers to cause them to ruin such a wonderful day, he raised a finger for the larger black butterfly to land on. The message the butterfly had been carrying slipped into his mind… a reminder of the training session he had scheduled with Sixth Division. Squaring his shoulders, Kira went to face his day.

Last Fukutaichou meeting it had been proposed that each fukutaichou assist in the training of another division. Every division trained primarily with others with in their division led and directed by their Taichou and assisted by their fuku-taichou. Each division their own distinct style and approach to a fight. Several of the fukutaichou had thought that their squads could benefit from some time practicing under a different approach. Kira had thought this a great idea and volunteered along with his friend Abarai Renji to be the first to lead a training session at the other's compound. Kira's fighting style of mixed Kido and sword technique was extremely different from Renji's very aggressive physical attacks.

Kira made his way to the Sixth's training field. After an enthusiastic greeting from Abarai-kun that involved painfully thumping the slighter man on the shoulders, Kira took charge of the gathered shinigami. The next three hours were filled with energy blasts, lightening bolt and wind gusts mixed with dodging, flash steps, parrying and swordplay. By the end of the training session everyone was feeling the exercise. Several members of Sixth squad had come up to him to thank him and inquire how he had done a certain move. Kira flushed with success answered questions trying to hide the way he winced when he moved. Renji caught the smaller man about the shoulders almost knocking him over with the force of the move.

"That went well!" Renji waved off the remaining squad members that hovered around the two fuku-taichous. "Give the man some space! If you have any other questions ask me later." Seeing that it wouldn't do any good to linger the loiterers slowly dispersed many of them sending admiring glances back at the blond man slightly blushing from all the attention focused on him.

"Ha ha ha, got yourself quite the group of admirers. You did a good job. Hope I can do the same for your group." Renji swatted Kira on the back again, Kira winced at being jarred. Renji caught the expression this time around. "Stiff?" When Kira gave a sharp nod Renji just laughed at him. "Got just the thing for you. Sixth has a great hot spring. Not as big as some of others but nice and hot." Renji nudged Kira again pushing him toward the changing rooms. "Come on, it will be good for you. Help loosen you up. 'Sides I know that Third has a half-day today." Kira resisted Renji for a moment not because he wanted to because the thought of dipping into a hot spring sounded wonderful but because he felt he ought to return to his division. Renji tugged his friend along. "I will just send someone over to your group for a new uniform. I don't think Fourth could even save that." Kira looked down at his uniform and noticed for the first time how dirty and scorched around the edges the material was. Kira nodded in agreement. He hated to have anyone see him at anything other than his best.

Renji called over one man who had lingered to speak to Kira. The brawny man smiled at Kira causing him to blush taking a step backwards. "We need you to do us a favor! Kira-san Fuku-taichou needs a new uniform. Can you go over to Third and grab one for him. We are gonna be over at the hot spring." Renji waved the man off as he dragged Kira over to the bathhouse. Renji tossed Kira a thin robe that was huge in comparison the smaller slighter man. "You can wear this for now."

Both men stripped quickly slipping into the light weight robes to traipse outside to the hot spring. Steam gently curled up from the water beckoning seductively to Kira. With a shrug of lightly muscled shoulders the robe slithered to the ground with in easy reach of the pools edge. Kira stepped into the water eagerly. As the heat wrapped around him he couldn't help but sigh. Kira squeezed his eyes closed to savor the feeling as tense muscles that had ached all day started to loosen. When Kira heard Renji's sigh of contentment he couldn't help but echo it. This felt…wonderful.

The two fuku-taichous enjoyed the heat in silence for several minutes. Kira has starting to re-capture the warm achy feeling of this morning. His mind circled back in contented leisure to the idea of a massage. Maybe if he gave the Taichou a really good massage Kira could convince Ichimaru to give him one as well. Ok he knew that wasn't likely to happen but still it was a great idea. Then he could show his Taichou just how much he appreciated how giving Ichimaru could be… two well oiled bodies rubbing together…

"MMMMmmmm…" Kira pushed his hair away from his face tilting his head up to the weak sunlight a dreamy smile on his lips. Eyes closed, Kira gave himself over to the heat, reveling in it. Warm fingers ghosted along his up-tilted jaw disturbing the blond's gentle repose. The fingers were too warm and the way they touched was too light to be his Taichou sneaking up on him. Kira's eyes popped open to find Renji's hand almost cupping his chin and a look of horrified disbelief on Renji's tattooed face.

"Kira-kun, who did this too you?!" Renji's voice was choked in outrage. Kira's eyes widened at how CLOSE Renji was. Kira jerked back instinctively only to hit his head on a rock.

"OOOWWwww!" Kira reached up one dripping hand from the water to rub the spot when Renji grabbed his wrist. Kira looked at the bigger man in complete confusion. "Abarai-kun, what?" Renji was turning Kira's hand so he could see it better and the red-purple bruise that stood in stark contrast from his creamy skin. Kira saw what Renji was looking at and blushed trying to pull his hand away from Renji's grip.

A knowing cough interrupted Renji's questions as the squad member sent for Kira's clothes returned. He looked from his naked fuku-taichou clutching the smaller man's hand and the blush on Kira's face and grinned even more. "I have Kira-san's clothes. I can leave them here if you like."

Renji glared at the man. "Fine, just leave us!" The squad member smirked at the look on the slighter man's face and left whistling. This was going to be a good story… everybody knew that Abarai-san and Kira-san were friends but looks like they are more than that.

Kira just wanted to sink into the pool and only surface when everybody had left. Instead of getting his wish he was again faced with the undivided attention of Renji. Kira tried to pull his hand away from Renji's grip any to have the grip tighten carefully around him.

"Kira-kun, you know that if you needed help all you had to do was tell me." Renji's voice was tight with anger and embarrassment. Kira looked up at Renji completely confused. Help with what? Anyone could see that the welts were caused by being restrained. "Did some one attack you? Yours wrists… your throat… you don't get bruises like that from training." Kira's blue eyes widened as he started to understand what his friend was saying. Kira raised his free hand to cover the bruises around his throat some of which were obviously left by fingers digging into tender skin.

"Kira you gotta report this. Talk to Ichimaru Taichou…" The look of concerned pity on Renji's face was more than Kira could bear. " No, not that guy… talk to Kuchiki Taichou or Unahana Taichou…you used to be in Fourth…and she is a healer…" Renji trailed off almost as embarrassed as Kira was. Kira pulled his hand free from Renji's

Kira's voice shook with emotion, his face blood red. "Abarai-kun… please don't speak to anyone about this. I don't need help. You don't understand…" His voice trailed off as shame swamped him. "I should return to the Third." Kira scrambled out of the water desperate to escape the concerned look on Renji's face that felt like acid on his skin. Renji sucked in a breath at the welted stripes that crisscrossed Kira's back and thighs. Kira pulled the thin bathrobe over his wiry body. With a graceful movement of slender hands, Kira flicked the collar of the robe up covering the fingerprints adorning his throat then tugged the sleeves down to cover the lines on his wrists. As Renji watched Kira turned from abused and beaten waif to the somber lithe man he had known for years. Kira reach up to tug his bangs over one eye before finally attempting to meet Renji's gaze. "Just leave it be Abarai-kun…please." With quiet dignity Kira picked up his clothes and went to the bath house to change, leaving Renji in the steaming water staring after him.

Kira took his time returning to Third Division's compound. Kira knew that he wasn't as physically powerful as Renji. He knew that he wasn't the tallest of men. But one thing he did know is that he wasn't weak. He clenched his jaw as the humiliation rolled through him. Renji seemed to think that Kira had been attacked by someone. Kira gave a bitter laugh. Maybe Renji at least thought it was several some ones… Kira would like to believe that Renji thought that he could at least hold his own in a one on one fight, or at least made enough of racket that someone would investigate the noise. Kira's expression hardened along taut lines. He couldn't help wondering if Renji had seen those same bruises on Hisagi-san if he would have come to the same conclusions.

As soon as Kira was seen entering the compound, he became to center of activity. "Kira Fukutaichou!! Orders just came down from the Capt Commander! We were just about to send a butterfly for you. They are holding a Gate for us."

Kira gave a start as the shouting broke through his grim thoughts then raced to the group of shinigami milling about in the courtyard. He pushed all personal concerns to the side as he assessed the situation. He looked around at the squad members noting the absence of one particular person.

"Where is Ichimaru Taichou?" Kira's voice was all business as he asked the most important question.

The group of shinigami shifted from one foot to the other and looked between themselves before answering." No one has been able to find him. There was a messenger sent over from Capt. Commander. You and squad are to report to Twelfth." The young shinigami was almost breathless by the end of his recital.

Kira wondered at the speed that everything happening. Fukutaichou were rarely sent out into the field due to the restrictions placed on them and anyone of taichou class. Certainly they were never sent out with out a briefing from their commanding officer. Kira shook his head trying to have everything make sense. As he looked around at the group of shinigami ready to depart, Kira realized he wouldn't have the luxury of looking for his taichou.

"How long are we expected to be gone?" If it was more than a few days it didn't matter who he kept waiting; he wasn't going anywhere until he spoke to Ichimaru. There were arrangements that would have to be made for his duties to be carried out in his absence.

"The messenger didn't say… said Ichimaru Taichou would have the full briefing or Twelfth would be able to brief us." The younger shinigami was almost dancing in place in anticipation at the thought of a mission to the real world. Kira looked at the younger man, just a few years out of the Academy, and wondered if he had ever been that young…probably.

"Taichou has the briefing?" Kira thought for a minute. Maybe he did need to track Ichimaru down after all. A feeling of relief swept through him. Finding his taichou had just become a priority of a professional nature, not just a personal one. The fact that he wanted…needed to see him was strictly secondary. "When was the last time anyone saw him?"

Several of the squad members looked at one another before one man spoke up reluctantly." Ah Kira Fukutaichou, there was a runner earlier who was asking about clothes for you. I didn't know what to do so I sent him to talk to the Taichou." Kira's closed his eyes as his stomach did a curious flip. This was shaping up to be a really bad day. "Taichou must have helped him because I saw him leaving with a pile of clothes." Several of the men were giving Kira a few speculative looks, obvious wondering why their fukutaichou needed a complete set of clothes sent over to another division.

"Of course", Kira thought quickly. There wasn't a good solution. He knew that if he sent the whole division out to find Ichimaru, no one would find him unless he wanted to be found. Capt. Commander would be informed of the delay and might reprimand his taichou…that was unacceptable. If Kira left without finding Ichimaru, then Capt. Commander wouldn't know that Taichou had disappeared without briefing his men. Of course Ichimaru would make him pay for leaving with out permission. Better that Ichimaru be angry with him than have his taichou have any difficulties because of his actions. Suddenly everything he needed to do was so clear.

"Everyone assigned to the mission report to Twelfth for briefing and transport. I need to do a few things. Inform them that I will be there soon." Kira flashed stepped to his rooms which were next door to the division admin buildings. He slid the door open and walked briskly to his bedroom. He looked down at the rumbled bedding and tried not to think of all the things that weren't going to be happening there tonight. With a sigh, he walked over to the closet and opened it. He pulled a small medical kit that he rarely had reason to use anymore. He hadn't had need to do any serious healing since leaving the Fourth but some habits are ingrained. Better to carry the small bundle and never need it than to need it and not had it.

Just one last ting to do before he could leave… Kira left his residence to walk to the butterfly garden at the rear of the admin building. The blond man called over one of the delicate creatures to rest on his finger. He concentrated on the message he wanted to send….Taichou…I'm sorry…had to leave…will return soon…Kira Izuru. Kira shook his finger sending his message out into cloud swept skies. He watched the butterfly dip and weave across the afternoon before turning to follow the path over to Twelfth where his men were waiting for him.