Title: The Perfect Match
Author: raikune
Rating: PG
Characters: Ikkaku and Houzukimaru
Summary: Ikkaku could achieve bankai a lot faster if Houzukimaru wasn't such a lazy scab.
Notes: Winner of bleach contest's week 12 challenge on Livejournal 8D
Prompt: week 12 -- bankai
No matter how much Ikkaku screams and curses at him, Houzukimaru won't give an inch. It had been the man's idea to try for bankai, not his. Ikkaku's never mentioned the idea to his sword before, so, justifiably, Houzukimaru feels hurt and a little sulky. They've never kept secrets from each other.
Achieving bankai seems like such a lot of effort to Houzukimaru. All that energy, the weeks of training…it's too much exertion for such a laid-back spirit such as himself. He wonders how he could've ever sprung from Ikkaku's soul: the man is like a dynamo. He shouts and laughs and never stills. Houzukimaru gets tired just from watching him.
Ikkaku is now calling him every filthy obscenity he knows, yelling that why couldn't Houzukimaru see that this was important and didn't he want them both to get stronger? Wasn't the sword supposed to be his soul? He screams all this as he tries to stab Houzukimaru, to force him into submission, but the sword's material form dodges with serpentine ease.
The zanpakuto refuses to fight back, out of sheer stubborn laziness. Anyway, it's more entertaining to watch Ikkaku dash about and inflict injuries on himself in his rage. Houzukimaru sniggers and flicks the shinigami the finger with one claw.
Because he's ok with all this, really. Ikkaku is strong, stronger then he knows. The sword will eventually submit, and they'll become one in ways they've never dreamed.
But not yet.
As Ikkaku tries to headbutt him, Houzukimaru sidesteps and lets him face-plant. There's a satisfying crunching noise. Fortunately, the sword is ready with words of comfort:
"Get up, ya weakass panty-waist."
If Ikkaku wants his bankai so bad, then Houzukimaru is going to make damn sure the jackass works for it.
-end-