Characters: Isshin, Ryuuken
Summary: Knowing what the single chink in the armor is helps a lot when dealing with Ryuuken.
Pairings: None
Warnings/Spoilers: None
Timeline: None needed
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.


It's considered a miracle by all parties that Isshin and Ryuuken have managed to get this far without strangling each other. Granted, Ryuuken has on occasion tried to kill Isshin in the past and Isshin only restrained himself out of a perfectly rational fear of how Ryuuken would react, but other than that, though their "relationship" has always been acrimonious and at times outright vitriolic, it's never crossed the line to murderous.

And all parties involved find it even more difficult to believe that the two are actually on friendly terms.

Cold and apathetic on a good day, infamously ill-tempered when set off, and at times petty and vindictive when in an especially stormy mood, Ryuuken is hardly Isshin's idea of a good friend. In fact, the sort of person he is now isn't anyone's idea of a good friend. But Isshin still puts up with him, despite everything.

Ryuuken has managed to perfect the art of making himself opaque to those who don't know him well and opaque even to some who do know him well—Uryuu has never been able to see past his father's skin, except for brief moments that are more disturbing than enlightening. But as much as Ryuuken would prefer it otherwise, Isshin isn't fooled and he just can't seem to shake him.

He has a glass heart, transparent and brittle, easily broken and the pieces are only picked up and reconstructed with blood and difficulty. He's not flexible; where others bend he breaks. Isshin's seen it happen before, and admittedly, Ryuuken resents him for even knowing anything about it.

So they remain on—somewhat—friendly terms, even if they snap, squabble, insult each other without any semblance of mercy and even at the best of times can't seem to stand each other at all.

Isshin hates to admit he feels responsible for his friend just as much as Ryuuken hates to admit that he feels responsible for Isshin, but they do all the same.

That doesn't mean they'll ever give up on the arguing, though.