2. True Face

Summary: Kurotsuchi Mayuri hides his face behind a mask. That mask also hides who he really is. One day, someone discovers who he really is, and they both find a new friend.

Pairing/s: None.

Warnings: People out of character, Mayuri, Kenpachi, Nemu and Akon the most noticeable… I hope. Mentions of blood and gore. Spoilers for the previous twelfth captains. Maybe some more, dunno.

Disclaimers: I don't own Bleach.

-

"Mayuri-sama? What's wrong?"

Mayuri did not turn from the mirror but continue to stare at his reflection. Ever since he had looked into a mirror three days ago, he often looked at his own image when he was not wearing the mask. Nemu stepped forward and said:

"Is there something wrong with your face?"

"Not that I can notice…" the man replied absently, one finger stroking along his cheek. "I'm just tired of using the mask."

"Is it because of the difficulty of putting it on?" she asked but was actually hoping for another answer.

"No, it's not that," Mayuri said, unknowingly fulfilling his daughter's wishes. "I just… I just don't want to wear a mask any more."

"Is it because of Zaraki-san?"

"Maybe," Mayuri concluded. "He said I would look less scary without a mask."

"Then why don't you stop wearing the mask?"

"I don't… know if I should be honest. Maybe I should try one day."

-

Kenpachi wrenched the door open grumpily and growled:

"What?!" It was too freaking early in the morning to be disturbed! And he had a killer hangover as well!

The shaking Shinigami stood straighter and said:

"Taichou, there is a guest waiting for you by the training area!"

'Guest? What the?' The man thought for a while. The only willing person to come and visit him this fucking early in the morning was… Mayuri.

Suddenly he was not as tired as before.

"I'll be there in a minute," he said abruptly and shut the door. The terrified Shinigami blinked at the closed door in confusion. That had never happened before.

-

"Do you enjoy waking up too damn early?"

Mayuri turned his head towards the man who stopped to stare at him.

"What?" the scientist snapped after a little while.

"That's why no one recognized you… you ain't got the mask on. Why's that?"

"I thought I should try one day without it," the smaller of the two said as Kenpachi sat down. "And I didn't wake up early, I just--"

"--never went to sleep," the bigger man finished. "Ya know, sometimes it's healthy to sleep Mayuri."

"I do sleep," Mayuri said, huffing as he did. "I just didn't do it yesterday."

"Or the night before, and the one before that and--"

"I sleep!" the man protested.

"Yeah, yeah, I believe you," Kenpachi said, his tone saying he did not.

"Kenpachi!"

The bigger man flew backwards and landed with a thud. He clutched his throbbing head with a groan. 'Ouch, I forgot the guy is kinda strong when he wants to be…'

-

Yumichika stopped in shock, making Ikkaku walk into him.

"Yumichika, what are you doing?!"

"Ikkaku… look."

The bald man looked towards where his friend was pointing and was left staring.

Mayuri and Kenpachi were fighting over a bowl of rice this time. The two shouted insults at each other, trying to make the other let go. Luckily there was no one else in the hall; otherwise they might have thought their captain was going crazy.

The third and fifth seat were still not used to see the twelfth captain without a mask but Kenpachi seemed to just have jumped on the train without much thought and went along with the change.

"I took it first!" Mayuri shouted, trying to get the bowl.

"Hah like I'll ever believe that! I had it first, blue-hair!"

"Bell-freak!"

"Insomniac scientist!"

"Kill-happy monster!"

"Just… give… it… to… me!" Kenpachi growled.

"You give it to ME!"

It ended with Kenpachi as a winner this time and Mayuri glared at his friend.

"Cheater!" he added.

"What?!" Kenpachi said. "I'm not a cheater!"

"So are!"

"So not!"

"So are!"

Yumichika and Ikkaku looked at each other.

"How about we go and say hello to Renji and make him invite us for breakfast?" the petite man suggested.

"Excellent choice," Ikkaku said, despite the fact he hated eating at another division. He just was not suicidal enough to walk in that war-zone Mayuri and Kenpachi always managed to create where everyone else but themselves got hurt.

-

"… Kurotsuchi-taichou… you are not wearing… your mask."

"I'm well aware of that, Akon," Mayuri huffed out, arms crossed. "What happened while I was out?"

"Nothing much," Akon managed, still staring at the man in wonder. It was really rare that Mayuri took off the mask outside the privacy of his rooms. "I made the test you wanted me to but the results will not come until a few more hours."

"Seems like everything is running just smoothly without me," Mayuri said dreamily.

"You are not skipping away from work, Kurotsuchi-taichou."

"… Damn it."

-

"Mayuri-sama."

Mayuri turned his head to show Nemu he was listening.

"Yamamoto-taichou wished to see you," the woman said. "It was about a test you made for him."

"Oh… that one. Where is it?"

He began searching on the papers on his desk, throwing some papers over his shoulder absently. Nemu bit her lip to keep herself from smiling. Her father could be so strange some times.

"Where in the fucking name of that fucking stupid god did I put it?"

He also had a tendency to swear when he lost things. Nemu, as dignified as she could, gently moved aside a few papers and said:

"Here, Mayuri-sama."

He looked up and saw her holding the paper.

"Oh… Did I put in that pile? Well, no wonder I didn't find it."

"Pile… Mayuri-sama?"

"That pile is what I call 'unnecessary shit' but apparently I misplaced that test-result," the man said and took the paper. He read it through and Nemu said:

"Mayuri-sama, he was waiting…"

"Yes, yes, I'm going."

He shrugged on his captain cloak but did not even glance at the mask before he left, waving a hand at her absently as he continued reading the paper. With a resigned sigh, she crouched down to pick up the papers he had thrown down. He always managed to create such a mess, her father.

-

Mayuri did not notice people staring at him as he walked along the streets towards the captain-commander's domains. He had his arms crossed, hands hidden in the sleeves of his cloak and the test-result in his pocket. He took it slow when walking, knowing Yamamoto would not mind. Not much anyway.

As he came to Yamamoto he slipped inside the already open doors and walked along corridors without much trouble.

"Aah, Mayuri is that you…?" Yamamoto looked at Mayuri, blinking.

"Yes? Something on my face?" the man asked.

"Rather… the lack of something."

"Eh? Oh… the mask," Mayuri said and felt his cheek. "Forgot I had put it away."

He shrugged like it was no big loss and produced the paper from his pocket.

"The results you requested," Mayuri said and Yamamoto accepted it.

"Have you started on a new life?" Yamamoto wondered, indicating the lack of mask.

"… Not really. Just checking how it is to be without the mask," the blue-haired man said. "So far it's going just fine."

"So I should expect more days like these?"

"Probably."

-

Kenpachi walked through the door leading to one of the laboratories, feeling a bit out of place. The doors were a bit too low for him so he had to bend his neck, and the place in general freaked him out.

The sight that met him once he got a look around the room made him roll his eyes.

Mayuri had fallen asleep, head on a table in the middle of writing something. The giant walked forward and gently shook the man's shoulder. Mayuri woke up with a start, saying:

"Wha…?"

"You fell asleep," Kenpachi supplied, watching Mayuri peer up at him sleepily.

"… Oh… I guess I'm more tired than I thought…"

"Really now?"

Mayuri did not complain as he was helped up and out the room.

"How was your day?" Kenpachi asked as he steadily steered Mayuri to the captain's rooms.

"Interesting… people stared."

"At your face?"

"Yes… but I didn't mind," Mayuri said. "Gave them all a shock… that was nice."

"Nice indeed," the man replied.

"Akon had a funny look when he saw me," Mayuri said with a grin. "He has seen me without the mask before but never when I came back from having done something elsewhere in Seireitei."

They had now entered the rooms, and Kenpachi watched with amused eyes as Mayuri struggled with his sandals. Once one was off, it was thrown away into a corner and the man did the same thing with the other sandal. A while ago, Kenpachi would never have believed anyone who said that the scientist acted like a human. Mayuri had been too far away back then.

The sleepy scientist fell down on his futon with a sigh of happiness and squirmed down underneath the sheets. Kenpachi tucked the edges around Mayuri making sure the man was comfortable.

"Do I look less scary now, without the mask?" Mayuri asked.

Without hesitation Kenpachi answered:

"Yep."

End

Eeh… weird ending? Maybe, but I don't have the strength to complain.

Third one-shot: Sleepy Command. Kenpachi knew Mayuri was a bit of a commanding-freak… but never suspected the man was like that all the time…

Until later,

Ja,

Tiro