"Yes! Yes!" Yachiru yelped loudly when she heard Kenpachi's offer to a dance. She was quick to leap out of his arms and land delicately on her feet. Raising her hands she smoothed her dress quickly. Kenpachi himself was a little bit stumped on what to do though. Not allowing her confused friend to stay confused very long, Yachiru gripped his right hand in her own and dragged the big lug towards the dance floor where other couples and friends were also dancing.

"Come on Ken-chan!" she whined at him when he wouldn't venture further than the edge of the dancing area. He knew Yachiru loved being the center of attention and that meant venturing to the heart of the dance floor. Taking a nervous gulp and muttering under his breath, he elbowed his way through the crowd in order to keep pace with his obnoxious, pink haired companion.

"Yachiru," Kenpachi growled. He hated crowds.

Yachiru stopped, she wasn't at the center of the dance floor but they were surrounded by people and that was good enough for her. With a grin on her face she raised her hands and started to dance like everyone else in the crowd. Unlike present day dancing, the reaper world was still far behind in the times and so the dance was clean and innocent. Kenpachi was a little confused, nervous and stiff. He was regretting asking Yachiru for a dance but the envy in her eyes broke him into asking. So now, here he was, swaying side to side in a stiff board motion.

Just as Kenpachi had learned to get to the grove of the music the music changed on him and now it was slower, not as fast paced. Looking around he saw people pairing off into couples, those who had no partners were walking off the dance floor. Taking a nervous gulp he looked down at Yachiru and once more saw the envy in her eyes as men wrapped their arms around their lady, and the lady in turn wrapped her arms around their neck.

Yachiru sensed a nervous feeling from Kenpachi. She knew all this time he was a bit overwhelmed with the crowd and with trying to dance. With a bubbly grin Yachiru extended her hands out to grip at both of his own. "Come on Ken-chan, let's go home," she said in a happy tune. Yachiru was about to leave but Kenpachi gave her hand a light tug.

"No, one more dance," he said in a gruff tone. Having seen others doing what they were doing, he knew Yachiru would never be able to wrap her arms around his neck due to the height difference. Leaning down, Kenpachi wrapped one arm around her shoulders while his other arm cushioned her tush so that he could hold her close like she was a child.

Yachiru blushed brightly as she looked into his eye but she summoned the courage she needed to wrap her arms around her captain's neck. A happy giggle left her lips and Kenpachi smiled at the little woman he held in his arms.

She's still just Yachiru. He thought to himself as he gently swayed to the music and moved around a bit. His attention however wasn't on his movements; it was on his little friend who had been there for him since he could remember. She gave up everything for him. When he wanted to fight she was right there cheering him on, even when they were at the lowest of times she was still at his side.

Leaning in close, he nuzzled his nose against her soft pink locks. The sweet scent of cherries filled his lungs as he had done so but the warm feeling she held also entered him. Now soft and relaxed, he allowed his hard exterior to crumble for a just a moment as he whispered something very softly to Yachiru's ear , "Thank you, for everything."

Hearing no response, Kenpachi blinked a bit in wondering if he had said something wrong. When he pulled back from the confession he stared at Yachiru who had her head pressed to his shoulder, her head turned slightly to face the male. She was out cold.

A sigh left the lips of the man, but shortly after he chuckled lightly and pecked a kiss on the top of Yachiru's cotton candy colored hair. Still relaxed and calm, he made his way through the crowd while holding Yachiru as he had when he was dancing with her.

The world around him seemed to vanish for a moment and it was once more just him and Yachiru. It was just as it used to be when it was just her and him. Before he even knew it he was back at the squad eleven quarters and only feet from his room.

"Eh," he said in a slight growl to himself. Opening the door of the captains living quarters with his foot, he stepped in and once more slid the door closed with his foot. As the door hit the wooden frame, Yachiru stirred in his arms and whimpered slightly before her eyes parted and stared up at Kenpachi. A yawn escaped her lips, fingers curled and rubbing at her eyes. The male gave a light chuckle and moved towards the open patio where he took a seat.

"Had a good night?" he asked as he looked down at her.

Yachiru nodded and smiled tiredly.

"I'm glad," he replied in a gruff tone. His harder side was starting to come now. He needed to have it back if he was going to fight tomorrow. However, when he took a seat outside on the patio, he held Yachiru close to him on his lap and wrapped his large robe around her to keep her warm against the cold of night.

Yachiru yawned tiredly and snuggled up in the robe she was wrapped in. Her head tilted slightly, eyes staring up at captain with a gentleness. Kenpachi's head turned down to look at her for a brief moment, he gave a grunt and then turned to look up at the night sky. The female turned her head as well, eyes staring at the large full moon over head.

"Thank you for making tonight extra special! And thank you for my gift, I love it!" she exclaimed happily as her eyes were now staring at the gem around her neck. Shifting her fingers, she started to play with the gem between her slender digits.

"Eh," Kenpachi responded in a grunt but his lips were curved into cynical grin for what extreme fun he'd have tomorrow with his opponent.

Yachiru sensed an excited feeling in her friend and giggled. The gem dangled back at her neck and her eyes looked up to Kenpachi. There was one other thing she wanted this night. Just one but she had no guts to ever do it, it wasn't the first time it had come to mind but she doubted such a thought came to his. Kenpachi sensed something was wrong with his partner, giving her a little nudge with his cheek she was quickly startled and looked up at Kenpachi.

"Ano?" she questioned. It wasn't really someone's name, more like her version of 'what?'

"What's wrong?" Kenpachi quickly asked in a worried, somewhat angry tone.

Yachiru knew none of his anger was directly aimed at her, he rarely ever got angry with her. Irritated yes, but never angry. She quickly shook her head at him to show there was nothing wrong but Kenpachi knew better than to believe the vice-captain that was staring down sadly at her twiddling thumbs. Placing his hand against her cheek lightly, he shifted it to get her eyes staring at him and what hit him strongly was the mixed emotions he saw in them.

Those eyes…those beautiful pink eyes that once sparkled with laughter and glee was now staring at him with emptiness and sorrow that he had never once seen, not even in the eyes of the many men he had spent killing. This strange feeling he was getting from her was not something common, it was beyond even rare, it was something that never should have happened. And just like that, just that one broken look in her eyes caused the sturdy walls of Kenpachi to crumble to ash and every emotion that Kenpachi hid rushed into heart.

"Yachiru what's wrong," he repeated, this time his voice filled with worry. His hands continued to grip her cheek lightly, his other wrapped around her and holding her hands softly. The dark onyx glare of his one eye stared at Yachiru for a brief moment but then it was her gaze that shifted and it was her heart that he felt pulsing through her fine, delicate skin.

"K-Ken-chan…." She whispered his name lightly.

"What's wrong, who hurt you?" he replied back gently, every bit of him had to refrain from surging back to his anger and Yachiru could tell he was trying his hardest to be patient.

"It's really nothing Ken-chan," Yachiru replied, her smile back in her face and her eyes glossed over with a fake happiness. It wasn't like Kenpachi hadn't seen this fake Yachiru before but he had never seen such deep pain and hurt in her like he had before so he wasn't going to let the subject go.

Firmly, but gently tilting her head just a little more up to get her gaze at his own; he then removed his hand from hers and shifted the eye patch from his eye just a bit so he could stare at Yachiru with both eyes rather than just one. The contraption he used to keep his spiritual energy leveled continued to feed at his energy but just needed to eat at his skin instead to get to it. Ignoring the stupid thing keeping his levels low, he continued to keep his vision on Yachiru and her pink optics stared back at him nervously.

"I said what's wrong, I'm not letting you go till you – "

Kenpachi was cut off from his words.

Silence.

What happened?

Before Kenpachi could finish what he wanted to say he was cut off from his words by the light pressure of Yachiru's lips sealed against his own. He couldn't even react before Yachiru was gone out of his lap and leaving behind for him was just a note and his robe in her place.

Kenpachi sat there for a good five minutes or so still trying to process what had just gone on. He didn't know if he was in a dream or maybe if he was dead and went to another place that dead people went to. Raising his fingers he traced his callused digits across his bottom lip to still feel the warmth and gentleness that was once Yachiru's lips. It was then he realized that none of this was dream at all, it had all happened and it had all happened to him. Allowing it all to sink in, his eyes shifted, looking down at the letter that was left where Yachiru once was. He couldn't read the note yet, it was far too soon. He had no idea if she had planned the whole night out or not, but whatever happened Kenpachi couldn't figure out if he was supposed to be angry or joyful about it all.

"Uhhhhhhh…." The captain said dumbly to himself as he got to his feet while his hand gripped the sealed letter and robe. Dropping both on his bed he didn't have the energy now to change. He moved over onto the opposite side of the bed and rolled under the covers. He was still confused about the feelings he had gotten from the kiss between the woman he had always seen as a best friend and even daughter but now she was older.

Was she still his little girl?

After that he realized she wasn't. He realized many of things from that gentle lip lock and as his eyes stared at the night sky of the open patio door, he prayed she was okay and not crying. Kenpachi's fingers coiled in the mess of his blankets and for hours he just laid there staring at the empty spot of his bed until sleep would steal him away from reality.

Just a moment before darkness took him he had but one last thought on his mind: 'Is she still just my Yachiru?'

Somewhere else in Soul Society…

[to be continued in the next chapter, which is basically where Yachiru took off to]

Author's note to the audience and few fans I do have: I very much apologize for my lack of updating this story, I thought no one was reading it till I logged into my yahoo and saw that there actually were some people reading it. I want to thank everyone who has read it or is reading it! I still would like everyones honest opinion about the story. Perhaps I am moving it a little too quickly but its hasn't been updated for…perhaps months now? Anyways, thank you everyone, I hope you enjoyed the new chapter. I will try to have another one up in a week but expect three by next month.