Disclaimer: Tite Kubo owns Bleach. That awesome guy..
I'll publish here few Yumichika-centered one-shots and pieces that may or not relate to each other. There may be a leitmotif (recurring theme) in few of them so you might be reading the same thing over and over in few episodes which shouldn't be related, with or without proper explanations... (because I start writing and do the same idea over and over again to try explain it properly)
Basically they'd be one-shots, but it's up to you whether they're related to each other or not :3 (If they definitely are though, I'll let you know)
'A heart made of stone, callous and bone
Fracture and tear it out to let it go
And to think
I called it my own
And I would have never thought the pain could grow'
- Nine lashes; Anthem of the Lonely
. . .
With Aizen's capture, the Winter War was over within a day.
At the end of said day, after long, tiring day of fights and debates, decisions and sessions late into the night, everyone went to sleep to face a new reality tomorrow. Reality where the Vizards are cleared of all charges they may have or may not have against them, a world were they're welcomed in Soul-Society once again. A world where three of them would return to their previous positions as captains of hundred years back. A world were Kuchiki Rukia would finally be promoted to position of a Lieutenant, a world were Tousen Kaname and Ichimaru Gin are dead, Kurosaki Ichigo has lost his powers, and Aizen Souske isn't to be seen or heard by anyone for few thousands of years.
Some went to sleep feeling slightly tensed, knowing that one of their most dangerous threats is locked up so close to their place. Some went to sleep with a bitter taste in their mouth and a crushing despair, some with tears and aching hearts, but almost everyone felt even a little bit relieved, because they knew that somewhat one day everything is going to get better in time, so they slept.
Yumichika didn't. Ikkaku, after getting beaten instead of protecting the Pillar like he should have and not get rescued by Komamura, spent the day (and the next two) in the Fourth. It was a fascinating experience, according to Ikkaku, because Zaraki-taicho and Kuchiki Byakuya were right behind the door facing theirs, and their bickering could be heard well across the hall. Both he and Renji who was placed in his room were amused, to put it mildly. So the stuck up all-mighty Kuchiki Byakuya can get riled up like anyone else.
After a short update on what happened after he lost consciousness, the two mulled (with slight annoyance and suspicion of Yumichika's smug behavior) over the fact that he had returned from the battle unscathed, which is weird considering he did lost consciousness but without injuries? very weird.
In return —and much to their embarrassment— Yumichika replied that at least he didn't get his ass kicked by the enemy and saved by a Captain even though he doesn't have a Bankai, unlike them.
In Renji's defence, he fought an Espada, not a mere Fraccion.
Ikkaku snapped and yelled at him to shut up and that it's not his fault that the bastard was as huge and as heavy as a three-story (or more) building.
Beside that, Yumichika also said that he did receive a wound, major and very painful;
...He got scarred for life by the hurried, extremely hideous face of his opponent and it is sure to terrorize his dreams for years to come.
What he didn't tell them was that he sustained a wound deeper and greater than the memory of fighting Charlotte Coolhorn.
A heartache wound.
Truthly, when Yumichika burst into the patient's room after waking up in the Forth he expected to see Ikkaku all battered and gloomy, sullen for failing his duty to protect the Pillar and, well, losing such an important fight in front of half of the Captains and Lieutenants. I mean, even he —Yumichika, a Fifth-seat— had won his battle!
As soon as his eyes opened, he saw white. Yumichika bolted upright, crumpling the clean white sheets beneath him. The white he saw was the ceiling of the infirmary of temporary hospitalization for lightly sick and injured people, a wide open hall with tens of beds lined up against the walls on each side. Most of them were empty, aside from few feverish Shinigami with curtains drawn to shield the view on them and a nurse or two with carts.
"Yo."
Yumichika turned to see Tetsuzaemon grinning at him, sitting on the bed next to his, dropped on the matters with barefoot legs pulled up. "I guess we're the ones who got off easily the most, eh?" He said behind his shades. "Well, us and Omaeda, that coward. The Forth's girls checked you but it seems like you weren't injured badly so we decided to just let you sleep in. Most of the Captains are all either in surgery or treatment right now, s'well as Hinamori and Matsumoto. Believe it or not but Zaraki-taicho sustained some major injuries; I heard he fought the Zero Espada together with Kuchika-taicho. You have to see these chunks Kurotsuchi is still bringing from Hueco Mundo —I tell ya, this guy is Huge, even bigger than Komamura-taicho's Bankai! And that Inoue girl is really amazing! She healed Soifon-taichou's severed arm in no time- wait, where are you going?" Yumichika ignored Iba and jumped to his feet without sparing him a glance, hurriedly walking outside the infirmary.
He followed Ikkaku's spiritual signature. He searched for it immediately as he woke up, and it was there. slightly weaker than it should be, but there, along with Zaraki-taicho's, Kuchiki Byakuya, and Renji. And it was close.
He just woke up after getting forcefully knocked out from trying to help his friend, a friend he didn't even get to reach. He lost consciousness while feeling Ikkaku's
Reiatsu vanish and fearing he'd lost and gotten himself killed. He woke up, about an hour later, to find himself back in Soul Society after it was all over, not knowing if they won, if they've lost, who survived and who didn't. He didn't care about anything, except finding Ikkaku. If he was still alive, that is.
Perhaps it was a good thing Kira and Hisagi stopped him; Ikkaku probably would have gotten mad if Yumichika barged in to help him without asking. But the fact remains that if Ikkaku would have gotten killed, Yumichika wouldn't have been able to be there. He wouldn't have even been able to even feel it, because fucking Kira had knocked him out cold.
He won't forgive Kira for this. Ever.
Anyhow, battered Ikkaku was. Gloomy... not so much. Much to Yumichika's surprise, he seemed fine. Acted like normal, except the slight irritation of not being allowed to leave hospital.
Ikkaku told them about what happened in his battle. He told them that Iba and Komamura-taicho saved him, and he told them what Iba told him.
"Do you?" Ranji asked, staring at the bald intently. "Think you're replaceable? 'Cause you're not! At least I don't think anyone can replace you! I'm sure Yumichika-san think the same, too—"
"I don't know," Yumichika joked idly, stretching the words as he shrugged and leaned against the door frame with crossed arms. "There are many other sweaty, sticky, vulgar, ugly bald men on the squad..."
"I'm serious!"
"Who ya're calling bald?!"
Yumichika excused himself after that, claiming he needs to get changed to a clean uniform and check on Zaraki-taciho and return to see how's the Division handling, seeing how he's the only one available to run it at the moment, with everyone in the Forth and a Lieutenant that no doubt will want to stay with her Captain to keep him out of boredom.
The Fifth-seat failed to see (or perhaps choose to ignore) that Renji eyed his back as he left through the door.
Renji watched him leaving the room.
It was Yumichika-san, not Renji. Ikkaku-san told him, not them. No doubt Ikkaku-san spoke up because Yumichika-san was there. He didn't care about Renji. If Renji didn't knew about his Bankai he would have probably said nothing.
The violet-eyed left the two to discuss whatever they thought they needed to discuss. Anyhow, Ikkaku probably had some thinking to do.
Yumichika was always very good at hiding his emotions.
When Kira and Hisagi caught up to Ikkaku and Komamura, Yumichika has had been unconscious. Naturally Ikkaku assumed it happened during his fight, and if he won, then after his fight. It was not uncommon; Ikkaku occasionally tended to faint after near-death battles, leaving Yumichika to tend for his body.
Not Kira nor Hisagi felt the need to tell them they had to knock him out with anesthetics. It just didn't seem important or significant at the time.
That night, Yumichika lay on his futon, violet eyes gazing up at the ceiling with empty look, multiple thoughts swirled uncontrollably around his head.
Ikkaku, Hisagi, Kira, Eleventh division, Zaraki-taicho, Charlotte Coolhorn, White Roses, his Zanpakuto, Ikkaku's loss, Tetsu-san's words, Ikkaku's Bankai, Asano Keigo's words, lies, truths, life, death, despair, his Shikai, his outburst earlier, Kira, waking up, fear, and how well he though he had his emotions under control.
Apparently he didn't.
When everyone fell asleep, quickly or slowly, relaxed or still excited, happy or crying, Yumichika didn't.