Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, or any of the Bleach characters used in this fic. They all belong to Tite Kubo: the genius behind the captivating manga that started it all. I only own any of my original characters that I choose to include, as well as any of my own original plot ideas.
Unexpected
Prompt: Where the evidence led...
A/N: For LJ.
This was how things were supposed to be. Calm, quiet, and relaxing. The harsh sun beat down upon him as he lay in the grass by the river, a cigarette poised between his lips. Such a rare occurrence, smoking. It wasn't allowed within the division, as something could catch, so he'd reconciled himself to indulging himself while he had the time.
There was nothing that he had to do on such a fine day, as the captain had slipped off to the World of the Living several days earlier, almost as soon as Aizen had fallen. Another big plus for him, as there wouldn't be any orders coming to him through the vine until the high-strung bastard returned. It wasn't that he hated his work. In fact, Akon rather enjoyed everything that came with it. Theories piling up, being sorted out one by one as new methods were developed. The only thing he needed a break from, every now and again, was the captain's temper.
He'd spent much of his time in the labs, rarely venturing outdoors except when necessary. But this was a nice change of pace. The smells were different, fresh and alive. Nothing like the lingering scent of death that hung in the morgue, or the unstable chemicals that often caused strange visions. With things like this, there was nothing to stress over. No tests; no picking things apart; no shooing Lieutenant Kusajishi and her shitting turtle out of the lab; no tracking of Aizen's remaining Arrancars; and no damned Rin sitting on his ass with a jelly-filled pastry.
Everything was as it should have been. Perfect.
A cloud of smoke floated before his eyes, vanishing with the light breeze almost as swiftly as it had appeared. Staring across the river, he could see Lieutenant Kotetsu and Captain Unohana inspecting a small vegetable garden. Akon bit down on the cigarette, grinning as the younger of the two vanished. It was too bad, really. Had she been the one to stay, he might have considered telling her all about the little discovery he'd made several weeks ago. But, seriously thinking on it, she probably wouldn't find it nearly as amusing as he did.
"It's nice to get out."
He turned, sincerely surprised to see his lieutenant standing there. Since the captain wasn't around to raise hell, she'd likely finished all her duties and had seen fit to come find him.
The idea was a pleasant one, and made him think back to the captain's shocking escapade. He was in no position to criticize the man, as he was just as guilty, having taken advantage of his absence. She looked at him fondly, a small smile making its way to her lips. The world seemed to brighten when she smiled, which was far more frequently given the state of affairs they were in. Of course, if the captain ever found out, he'd be a deadman.
Akon nodded in agreement, flipping the burned-out thing into the river. It swirled around for a moment before disappearing with the gentle current, swept away to gods knew where. In a way, he supposed they were the same. They'd met under normal enough circumstances, only to be caught in the tide and whisked away to some blissful wonderland. Still, it was a frightening thing, the thoughts of being found out. But it was a risk that seemed to do them both some good.
If there was anything worth pursuing, even while playing against the odds, this was it.