Gin had been watching for some time now.

His eyes had ever so slowly traced over the figure of a man leaning against the white wall, almost blending into it – so well had his white outfit camouflaged him. If it not for the sun-gold hair and watering blue eyes one would not have realized someone was there.

Izuru had been wandering around a lot lately.

Not the sort of purposeful gait of someone examining a new home but more the mindless shuffling of someone half-asleep and unaware of the world around them. Twice now he'd nearly walked off a sheer edge before realizing he was stepping into thin air.

So Gin continued to keep watch – at least until the shock wore off.

When it did a few days later he finally stretched and smiled up at the sky.

"So it's that time is it?"

Stepping softly from the roof he was on, he leaped to land in front of his subordinate who'd finally begun to look upon his unusual habitat.

"Gin-sama!" Izuru yelped, startled. He calmed his breathing quickly.

"You're appearing rather suddenly today."

"I wanted ta surprise ya, Izuru." Gin grinned.

"At least, I wanted ta give ya a pleasant one first."

For a moment Kira frowned, wondering what that meant before he noticed the shifting movement. A quarter turn back and a blade lanced past his face – close enough to shave of just the topmost layer of skin. Eyes wide he could only stare in horror at his former commander.

From his combat stance Gin gave a momentarily semi-serious face.

"Ya dodged. Good sign."

"GIN-SAMA!" Kira yelled, jumping back.

"What's the meaning of this?"

"Meaning?" Gin parroted, recalling his blade back to its shortened form.

"There's a meaning?"

Rising up, Kira clenched his fist – blue eyes flashing.

"I'd like to think so- for attacking me."

"An if I said there ain't one?"

For a moment the ex-lieutenant fell silent, unable to formulate an appropriate response for a scenario where Gin would outright attack him. The thought of that sword being aimed at him had never crossed his mind.

"Ya never thought about it?" Gin asked, as if linked in with Kira's thoughts.

With a sigh his smile faded, only his eyes remaining the same.

"Ya never thought, "He may attack me at any time."?"

Seeing the unresponsive face of his subordinate the silver haired fox gave a low sigh.

"Ya know, Izuru." Gin spoke softly.

"There's a line between being known, and being understood."

He pointed at the blonde.

"You know me. Ya know my attacks, an' what I can do. Ya even know my moods. However;"

Readjusting his sword, Gins' smile returned. "I understand you."

"What does all this mean Tai-"

The blade lanced out again, this time Wabisuke coming to his masters rescue.

"I told ya, I aint' ya Taichou." Gin rebuffed him with a grin, striking again.

Brilliant blue eyes, wide with a mixture of fear and sadness, Kira widened the gap between them.

He aint' thinkin' clear. Gin noted, sliding his foot back again in preparation of another attack. That zanpakuto of his don't work good at a distance – but mine…

The next strike lanced out, cleanly slicing through the tall building before it – sending the structure to earth in a rain of heavy concrete. Chocking dust filled the air, clouding vision.

He waited, not moving at all until he heard the faintest scuffling sound – like a mouse running over gravel.

Cutting through the grey-brown cloud Shinsou hit its mark – Gin finally opening his eyes at the piercing yell that resulted. Retracting the blade he waited, the only sound reaching his ears now being the sound of dripping blood.

Crimson eyes scanned the invisible horizon.

He's not moving this time. An' I know I didn't hit anythin' vital. So he's thinkin' again now.

Waiting in the concealing dust, Gin took his time.

There was a step to his rear.

So obvious – I'm surprised.

Striking again he was greeting with three unexpected clangs and frowned as Shinsou became harder to withdraw.

His grin soon found its way back onto his face.

"Ya cleared yer head a little, Izuru?"

"I think so-" Came the response, Shinsou lancing out again immediately only to suffer two more hits.

Very good. Gin smiled even wider. "Yer makin' it interestin'."

There was a step too close and Gin wheeled, this time striking out with his hand to grab the sword mid-swing. Despite the sudden increase in weight he didn't let go.

"But ya can't hit if I hold onta it." He reminded Kira as his own zanpakuto cut into the others side.

Wincing, this time Kira refused to cry out – instead muffling his scream as he stared his formerly trusted commander in the eye for the first time in years.

How long had it been, he wondered. Since he had seen the deep and hypnotizing blood-red of those eyes staring back at him – and actually seeing him, not seeing through him.

"Izuru…ya get it now?"

Gin asked, twisting shinsou slightly to make sure he had Kira's undivided attention.

"Do ya see what I mean?"

Contrary to every other battle he'd ever been in, he felt the other man relax instead of pull away from the blade.

Weakly, Kira smiled back – an honest and unashamed one that was Gin's polar opposite.

"I think…for the first time in your life…you've finally seen me."

"I could say the same." Gin smiled back.

Suddenly there was a jerk and another sharp wave of pain ripped into Kira's body. He felt his arm droop, as unsettling warmth began to run over him. He didn't need to look to know it was blood – he could see that in Gins eyes.

"Y...you...you're…"

"Sorry." Gin confirmed. "But orders iz orders Izuru."

The dust seemed to close in, squeezing out the cold light that for a little while had been so comforting to Kira as he slumped forward. Bumping into something solid, he felt a sense of detachment as his body was lowered to the ground.

I'm not scared. I know what's going on. He thought as the darkness crept in.

There's nothing to worry about.

Above him, silhouetted by the sun as it began to break through the ashen cloud Gin peered back – his crimson eyes so close Izuru could see his own bloodied form in them.

Yeah…this is alright.

Hearing returned first. The sounds of people talking, yelling, rushing back and forth like mad. Like something important was about to be lost.

For a moment his eyes opened and he saw the form of long hair and kind eyes before the blackness returned again.

When the dark shadows finally peeled away he found himself in a simple room.

The smell of tatami and screens filled his nose. The din of many people, walking and talking around him crowded in on his ears. Worst yet, the light from the sun was blinding, forcing Kira to clench his eyes painfully closed again. It was all too much, this crowd of people with their noise, scents and light.

It was nauseating, this influx of overwhelming information – compared to the calm, almost sterile environment of Los Noches this was a whole other world.

"You act like some creature of the dark."

A voice grumbled, closing the shutters and blanketing the room in shadow. Slowly, Kira moved his head to the right to see a figure in black approaching – the distinctive spikes of his ponytail catching the injured mans eyes.

Izuru looked back at the ceiling.

"I thought…the next time we met we'd be enemies."

For a long while there was a pause before Renji spoke softly.

"Don't worry about that. Just recover. We found out what was going on."

Izuru lifted an eyebrow, curious for an explanation. Renji continued.

"We know about Aizen's Bankai. We know now that it wasn't you betraying us! That damn zanpakuto of his pulled another fast one on us."

Renji gritted his teeth, nearly quaking with anger. "To think he nearly got you killed by all of us. You'd never betray Soul Society – I see that."

He suddenly gave a low bow. "Kira…I should have trusted you."

"Wha-.."

Closing his mouth, Kira changed his words.

"That's alright, given the evidence you couldn't have known any better. Please."

He gave a smile. "I'm just glad to be back."

With a grateful look the shinigami righted himself and for a while more Renji stayed, relaying the latest events and catching up with his old friend. Izuru was surprised to learn that in light of the new evidence that had come in he'd be re-assigned to his old squad, no questions asked.

Of course Captain Soi Fong wouldn't be pleased at all he thought to himself with some amusement.

As night closed in Renji took his leave – remembering that Izuru still needed to recover before he could stay up all night again.

Left behind in his bed, the Lieutenant of the third squad sighed when he thought about having to go back and face his co-workers – Captain Shusuke Amagai worst of all.

That's right. He thought as he remembered Gin's eyes.

I understand now.