"Mornin'," yawned Ikkaku as he stepped into the kitchen. "Smells good."
"It should, it's your favorite omelet and bacon breakfast." Kira served the captain a plate heaped with steaming egg and meat. Ikkaku smiled lopsidedly at Kira before digging in. the blond himself had toast with egg, the yolk still runny, and a cup of tea with milk. He had come to love the beverage after Gin made it for him on the mornings the silver-haired shinigami and Kira woke up in the same bed. Unlike what many people thought, Ichimaru Gin was a tender lover and often made sure Kira was content.
In some ways, waking up with Ikkaku was pleasant, because it chased the other happy memories away.
Ikkaku was speaking. "... so anyway, the plan is to get Shuuhei roaring drunk, and then we'll tie him up in a large pink bow and leave him in Renji's room."
"We're gonna have separate stag nights for them?" asked Kira.
"Guess we'll hafta," chuckled Ikkaku. "It'd be awkward if one of them gets a boner while getting a lap dance – and the other guy's around to get all prissy."
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
The day was too nice to stay indoors. Kira, with a little persuasion, managed to coax his heavily-hungover captain to join him on the porch as they sorted through invoices and claims. Isshin begged off after an hour of work though, presumably to return to his room to sleep off the alcohol.
Light danced off the tips of leaves. Kira basked in the warmth, letting the morning sun wash over him. The grass had been cut recently, and the sweet green scent lingered with every breath he took.
How long had it been since he really enjoyed a day this way?
Kira remembered such days when he was in the academy. He and Renji would go out on weekends to Rukongai, sometimes to watch street plays, sometimes for snacks bought from roadside stalls, sometimes to listen to performers sing and charm an audience. The days of being a shinigami had flown by: under Unohana-taichou's and Aizen-taichou's tutelage, Kira had had little time to relax.
When he stepped into the Third division, it had been Gin who made it compulsory for Kira to join him on his so-called 'good weather days'.
"You must take a break whenever you can, Kira," the captain had admonished with his usual smile. "The paperwork won't disappear, but fine sunny days like this will. And you're gonna be doing all these crap for the rest of eternity; it's not gonna hurt having an hour or two in the sun and the breeze."
Kira's heart ached with the recollection. He missed Gin, terribly, and he was probably the only one in Seireitei who did so. It couldn't be helped; so few others saw what he was privy to: Gin's dedication, his hardworking nature, his wry humor, his gentle touches.
Abruptly he decided. Since it was a good weather day, Kira would not stay at work. If his captain was able to take the day off to nurse his hangover, Kira should be allowed to take the morning off.
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
It was a long walk. Without shunpo, it would have taken Kira almost three hours to climb the hill where the graves were placed. The location was an isolated clearing; it had been where Gin and Aizen used to have a house of their own. Kira never knew what happened to the house.
Now there were two grave markers, side by side, pale gray stone with words carved into them.
Aizen Sousuke.
Ichimaru Gin.
Kira noted how weeds were climbing over the grave markers and dutifully tore away the plants. The flowers that he had placed that day the two traitors were buried were already gone. The blond lieutenant rinsed the stones with clean water, then placed fresh flowers into the little containers. The bright pink and orange blooms danced lightly in the breeze, and Kira sat on his heels.
The day of their deaths was still vivid in his mind.
Gin, paler and thinner than he remembered, brought in by Hitsugaya-taichou himself and led to Unohana-taichou immediately. Kira had hung about the maximum security ward until the motherly captain allowed him to take a look.
Gin had not smiled at Kira.
Then the trial, with Kurosaki Isshin beside him to provide emotional support, took place an hour after Gin was brought in. Kira remembered his former captain, wan, weak and still jaunty with sarcasm.
And after that, Aizen came.
Kira's tears welled up at this point. Gin's despairing joy at knowing Aizen had come for him had stabbed into Kira's heart. Much as he knew Gin liked him and was fond of him, Gin only ever truly loved Aizen.
And when Aizen had apologized in Gin's stead, Kira knew. He knew what was about to happen, and he also knew he would crawl on hands and knees to make sure the two of them received proper burials.
Isshin had taken Kira out of the auditorium, but Kira insisted on staying just outside. He would not leave, not when it was the last time he could say goodbye. Though he was not present when they died, he saw what had unfolded.
There had been footage of the trial. Aizen, cradling Gin in his arms, feeding him ice-cream; Gin murmuring and finally closing his eyes in response to Aizen's command; Aizen, a final command to Ichigo, and then the cero through his own head.
There had been footage, and Kira had a copy. It was the last moments of Gin's life. That was important. So was the song Gin had made Urahara pass to him – the message embedded had been beautiful and sad and heart-wrenchingly Gin, the Gin that Kira knew and loved.
Of course, there was also Gin's journals, a recollection of things or events that had tickled Gin's fancy. He had bequeathed it to Kira, this time via a message from Hitsugaya.
"Under the surface, Kira, is the truth."
That had been Gin's message. Not even Ikkaku knew of it, until that day they went to the two former captains' house to collect their gigai. That was the reason for their row that night. Kira was left alone in the room by Ichigo, and after Kira shifted Gin's gigai he had found the journals, all stored in flash drives. He printed it out in Urahara's store; that shopkeeper would keep the secrets, he was certain, and this way there would be no trace in Seireitei's system.
The contents were sometimes lurid, sometimes pensive, but every now and then Gin would recount a humorous incident. Like the time he had spiked all the captains' drinks with laxatives so as to cut short the meeting, and the time he got Aizen to sing for him, and the time Kira was forced by the SWA to cross-dress in the name of fund-raising.
Now Kira smiled, the memories sweet and warm. He had read all the journals. Occasionally he did wonder if he ought to turn it over to the authorities, but they meant too much to him to let others even glimpse the contents.
How much time passed on the hilltop Kira didn't know, but eventually he was aware that he ought to return to Seireitei. He got up and breathed in deeply.
It was a good place for good weather days.
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
Byakuya kept up a punishing pace of work, so it was rather surprising when he finally requested for leave. Hence, the lack of surprise shown by the soutaichou grated on Byakuya's nerves.
"Granted," said Ukitake Jyuushiro. "Three weeks."
"That was... fast," the noble remarked, disconcerted that the soutaichou didn't even attempt to talk him out of it.
Ukitake rested his chin in his left hand. "You've not taken leave for nearly seven decades. The last time I remember you on leave was for your wedding."
The dark-haired captain looked at his hands.
"You need time off," Ukitake continued. "Three weeks. Somewhere pleasant. In fact, take someone with you."
"I would prefer to be alone-"
"-and then you'll start withdrawing into a shell again, and we'll be saddled with a distant and aloof Kuchiki-taichou yet again. No thank you." The white-haired man tapped on the table. "I will list some people I think you might get along with; tell me whose company you find... amenable."
Byakuya rose from his seat. "Thank you for the offer, Ukitake-san, but I think I'd really rather spend the time off on my own."
Ukitake said nothing as the noble left. Then he sighed. "You're not getting your way this time. Sasakibe-san?"
The lieutenant materialized from behind a wall. "Soutaichou."
"Find Kyoraku-san please, and ask him to visit me."
"Yes, soutaichou."
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
Shuuhei watched Kira eat. He had always enjoyed the scene: the blond ate delicately, almost like a ritual such as the tea ceremony, and never failed to finish his food. For someone as slim as Kira Izuru, he packed a lot into his stomach.
This time the dark-haired shinigami was concerned about something else though. "What's wrong?"
"Hmm?" asked Kira absently, putting his chopsticks to the side. "Wrong?"
"Yes, what's wrong?" repeated Shuuhei. "You seldom come over for lunch these days."
Kira half-smiled. "I can't miss you two?"
Renji glanced up but said nothing. Shuuhei nodded at the redhead and Renji excused himself to go to the study, leaving Kira alone with his former lover.
Shuuhei seated himself next to Kira and placed an arm over the slim man's shoulder. "Izuru, I've known you since that night you guys saved my ass. Now spill."
Kira sighed. "I don't know, Shuu. I just feel – am I wallowing in the past, Shuuhei?"
"... why would you ask that?" asked Shuuhei carefully.
"I spent the afternoon at the graves," said Kira, knowing that Shuuhei knew which graves he was talking about, "and just reminisced. Shuu, my happiest memories... they're almost all of him. Some of us, of course, but... I'm just worried."
Shuuhei exhaled slowly. "He's gone, 'Zuru."
"I know that."
"And Ikkaku isn't."
Kira could feel his cheeks pinking. "I know that too. But Ikkaku and I – we're not gonna work out, Shuuhei. We're too different."
"I thought he's met up with you at your place?" asked Shuuhei, surprised.
"Um..." Kira lowered his gaze to his hands. "We're – special friends. You know. But not together."
Shuuhei inhaled and relaxed. "I see."
"Yeah."
The older male regarded his best friend. The blond lieutenant was thinner and paler ever since the traitors' suicides; not the wan pallor when they first betrayed Soul Society, but a look that spoke of overwork and stress. Briefly Shuuhei tried to recall the last time Kira had gone on a break.
"You've never taken leave from work," said Shuuhei.
Surprised at the non sequitur, Kira shook his head. "Never saw the point. There is always so much to be done."
"Even I have taken a few holidays, 'Zuru, and I don't exactly have a light schedule." Shuuhei huffed. "The only lieutenant who has an excuse not to need a holiday was Matsumoto, and that's because she pretty much relaxed her way through her days."
Kira shifted. "It's not like the Third can run without me..."
"Then what's a captain for?" retorted Shuuhei. "Kurosaki-taichou can survive a week without you, Kira. That's it. I'm putting in an application on your behalf."
"But Shuuhei-"
"No buts. You're going on a break before we have to ship you off to a sanatorium."
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
That evening, Kira Izuru's application for leave was unfolded onto the table. Kyoraku laughed. "Kind of coincidental, don't you think?"
Ukitake was serene as only he knew how. "I didn't do this. Hisagi-taichou did."
"And yet. They're gonna think you're trying to play matchmaker."
"And that's bad because..." drawled the white-haired captain.
His best buddy snorted. "You know the Kuchiki prince will take this the wrong way."
"They seem to be on amicable terms, Unohana-san told me."
"Amicable in a social setting does not equate good traveling buddies, Jyuu-chan. I think you had better scrap the idea. Byakuya isn't gonna like having someone foisted on him, you know that. Remember Hisana?" Kyoraku scratched his nose. "Let it go, Jyuu-chan. They can take care of themselves."
Ukitake sighed regretfully and approved Kira's application to head to the mountains for a five-day sojourn. He had hoped to toss the blond with Byakuya's trip, but his more sensible friend did raise pertinent points. Since he had lived for so long, perhaps he ought to trust that time worked its magic.
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
The pebble Byakuya threw at Yoruichi missed by an inch.
"That is tantamount to cruelty to animals, Byakuya," scolded Yoruichi lazily.
"You're in my private space," countered the noble.
Yoruichi opened an eye. "You really want me to get out now?" she asked, stretching her dark-skinned limbs and turning to face the younger shinigami, her hair tied up so it wouldn't get wet from the bath.
Byakuya glowered.
The woman smirked and transformed before getting out of the bath. "See ya around, Byakuya-bo. Have fun wherever you're going." Her tail waved a leisurely S as she sashayed past Byakuya. "I hear the resorts are nice this time of year."
How did she find out where I'm going? Byakuya wondered as he rinsed himself clean before going into the bath. And if she knew, she'd probably be there.
He narrowed his eyes and made alternate plans.