A/N:

First off, I apologize for the delay. I live in Sri Lanka and it was time for the Avurudu (New Year) Festival and I got caught up with celebrating with my family.

On top of that, I've been a little stuck with this story lately. And I've gotten dragged into reading Meifu's Gate (possibly the best Bleach fanfic I've ever read) that all I've done in my spare time is read, read, and read :P

A special thank you to Wolviegurl, HeartofChaos13, Panda Mood, magdebrugg, and Bsmiles123 for reviewing the last chapter! I cannot emphasize enough how much your feedback encourages me :)

This is once again a short chapter intended to be light and humorous and to bridge points in the story rather than advance plot...

The Red Tie That Binds

by Sands

Chapter 10 - Drown Your Sorrows

"This is not a good idea," Toshiro declared, pinching the bridge of his nose. His eyes were closed. It looked like the young captain was praying for patience.

Sitting on the window ledge of Orihime's living room, he observed the fellow soul reapers get ready for a night out in the town. Orihime Inoue had not yet returned from Soul Society. So everyone had gathered there before they headed out.

Rangiku halted in the middle of retouching her lipstick. "Oh, Captain! You won't be allowed inside anyway." Then she proceeded to giggle at her own jibe. He suspected that she had imbibed in some sake already.

"Rangiku!" Yoshina squeaked and looked at Captain Hitsugaya worriedly.

He, however seemed quite disinterested and unaffected. It seemed he was perfectly used to these sort of comments from his lieutenant.

"Either way, I'm not interested," he said sounding just that. "Don't call me to come collect you when you are completely uselessly drunk." Then he opened the window and disappeared off on to the roof, possibly seeking solace from the mayhem below.

Rangiku turned around to face the gang. Dressed in a short red dress with a plunging neckline, her assets were well accentuated. She had gone shopping but Yoshina suspected it was more likely that poor Orihime's closet had been raided. Even she had been stuffed into a sleek black dress. She didn't have much to show off anyway, as petite and slight of build as she was, but even her curves were well displayed in the body hugging dress. If Ikkaku's eyes lingered on her ass, she pointedly pretended not to notice.

"Well who wants to get uselessly drunk?" Rangiku asked cheerfully.

"That's exactly the opposite of what Captain Hitsugaya said," Renji reminded rolling his eyes but a grin lurked around his lips nonetheless.

But there was no dissuading Rangiku. She had made up her mind that the only way to go was to drink themselves into oblivion. After all, alcohol tasted better than tears.

Yoshina was not sure how exactly they ended up here but here they were in a dimly lit bar very well into their cups. And bottles. They had not limited themselves to just sake this time. Beer bottles – empty, of course – were haphazardly rolling about on the table they sat around.

She collected most of them and carried them towards the bartended who thankfully unloaded the burden from her. She was drunk too. Well tipsy would be the right term. The others though. She didn't know whether to laugh at them or worry about them.

On her way back to her seat, she passed Rangiku, who was staring into her glass of clear liquid, draped all over the table. Yoshina thought that might be uncomfortable considering how things were being...well squished. "Why Gin? Why?" she heard the voluptuous woman mumble woefully into the cups.

Slightly confused, her brain sluggish that usual, she sat next to Renji, facing Ikkaku.

Yumichika's dazed eyes focused on her movement as she sat down. Sucking on a lemon, or maybe a chunk of pineapple off of his pina colada, he looked miserable too. "There's no one beautiful enough," he said and Ikakku smiled widely shaking his head at his friend's words. "I will die alone. I will die beautifully but I will die alone." Then he slumped beautifully on to the table, like a wilted flower.

Ikkaku laughed openly now, the sound slightly infectious.

"Is he okay?" Yoshina asked, slightly concerned. She wasn't aware of how much alcohol was exactly too much alcohol for soul reapers.

They could both hear the sucking noise coming off of Yumichika and his chunk of pineapple. Clearly he was still conscious.

"He'll be alright," Ikkaku declared, sipping from his beer.

"What's going on? What did I miss?" Yoshina asked pointedly looking at dejected Rangiku.

Renji thought it was the right moment to grab Yoshina by the shoulders and stare drunkenly into her eyes. "She doesn't see me the way I see her? She doesn't!" he said asking the question and answering it himself. Yoshina could only stare dumbfounded. "I have loved her as long as I have lived," he continued. She could hear Ikkaku laughing once more. "Why am I so pathetic?"

Renji's face scrunched up, and he sniffed. Yoshina wanted to laugh too but she held herself back. Who knew alcohol was capable of reducing these strong people into what was basically mush? If Renji remembered any of it, he would be appalled by his own behavior.

Yoshina patted him and gently untangled herself from his embrace. "It's going to be okay, Renji," she told him and helped him lay his head down on the table.

"Yes, okay," he said, settling his head on the makeshift pillow made by his folded arms. "I'll sleep now."

Yoshina looked at Ikkaku, the only other seemingly sober one in the group, for an explanation.

"What a bunch of lightweights," he declared, taking another swig of his drink.

Yoshina looked about. That could be said about Renji and Yumichika, considering they'd both drunk almost the same as Ikkaku and her. But given the evidence of empty glasses and bottles in front of Rangiku, it was clear she had drunk far, far more than the rest of them. She was running away from something, Yoshina realized and it had to do something with Gin. Yoshina knew the story behind it. Rangiku hadn't told her herself but some things didn't stay hidden in soul society. The defected former captain and Rangiku had history and his betrayal was hitting her hard. Yoshina ached for her new friend but there was nothing she could do right now.

"I was gone for maybe less than two minutes. What happened here?" she asked.

"Well, Renji started talking nonsense about some woman," Ikkaku said. "Guessing from what he said just now, he's clearly talking about Rukia Kuchiki." Then he laughed shaking his head. "He's going to regret his drunken confession later." It was a promise of snarky comments and teasing to come.

"And?"

"And well the rest followed suit. Everyone was drunk enough and soon talking about the woes of love," he finished with a chuckle.

Yoshina took a sip of her own drink. "What about you, Madarame? Any woeful romantic drama in your life?" she asked wriggling her eyebrows at him playfully.

Ikkaku grinned at her, showing what was possibly all his teeth. "You wouldn't believe if I told you."

"Try me," Yoshina urged, grinning back.

"Nemu Kurotsuchi." He let the name hang there for a while, grinning at her reaction.

If Yoshina sputtered a bit on her drink, it was warranted. "Captain Kurotsuchi's lieutenant?" she asked just to be sure.

He nodded in the affirmation. "Heck, I don't think romance even comes into it. I see her and every part of me comes alive with a vengeance." Then he looked at pointedly and added, "Every part."

"Ikkaku!" she squeaked, laughing herself. "I didn't need to know that!"

"You asked." Then he looked at the miserable lot around him. "We should probably take this bunch home."

Yoshina nodded in agreement. It was getting late. Or early, depending on how one wanted to look at it. She settled the tab and took hold of Rangiku. It wasn't easy considering how much taller she was than Yoshina but she managed somehow. Ikkaku supported Renji and Yumichika on either side, and they walked home.

They talked along the way but Yoshina doubted either would remember much. It was just meaningless conversation to ensure the other didn't fall asleep or something. They were just focused on finding a place to crash.

The hangover was torturous.

She felt a weight on her body, keeping her from getting up and in that moment she hated whatever it was that was anchoring her. She needed to use the bathroom and she needed to use it immediately. She pushed it off of her but to no avail.

Opening her eyes, she squinted at the weight. It was an arm. She looked along the arm to find the person it was attached to. Ikkaku was cuddling her like she was his own cuddly pillow.

Alarm bells rang in her brain. She quickly glanced at herself and him. Relief came swiftly upon realizing that they were both very clothed and had only fallen asleep on the floor next to each other.

Then she laughed a bit. Ikkaku Madarame, the strong mean warrior of Squad 11, who had no romantic notions, was a freaking cuddler. The irony did not escape her.

She carefully lifted the arm off to wriggle out of the embrace and went to relieve herself.

Upon her return, she noticed Captain Hitsugaya standing over the awakening soul reapers with a look of utter annoyance on his face.

The news he imparted opened their eyes and sobered them up faster than anything else could have.

Inoue was gone.

They quickly freshened up to be presentable for the video communication with the Head Captain. If Yoshina squinted a little bit at the screen, it couldn't be avoided.

It was unfathomable that they were to do absolutely nothing to help Orihime Inoue. She could see Ichigo's rage and desolation clearly on his face and it pained her to know that there was nothing she could do. She wanted to help him rescue her, and it was a rescue that was needed. There was no way that Orihime would have gone willingly. The want was reciprocated on both Renji and Rukia as well. To abandon Ichigo now, would be the cruelest thing.

When Rukia tried to plead with the Head Captain, she was shut down instantly, and very decisively.

The senkaimon opened right there in the living room. Captain Zaraki and Byakuya stepped out. It was time to go.

Her eyes met Byakuya's briefly before he glance right past her to look at Rukia and Renji. All of them obeyed the wordless command and followed the captains back to soul society.

Yoshina looked back at Ichigo one last time. Her heart went out to him. When she turned back to the senkaimon, Byakuya was looking at her curiously. Possibly judging her for her very human weakness.

Feelings had no place in duty. She should know that by now.

More A/N:

So I will update Chapter 11 soon and it's gonna be a gooood one ;) I apologize for the delay in posting and I want to warn that I won't be able to stick to the regular schedule of updating every Saturday for a while. Work is hectic and I need to write ahead as well. Thank you for your patience! :)

Guest Replies:

Knox: I'm sorry for any confusion I caused :O Well...it's not that Kisuke stopped her and took away her opportunity. He trained her and he is perfectly capable of seeing that she was not fighting at her full strength or will power. He thinks of her as his little sister cuz they've known each other since she was just a little kid. So he stepped in to protect her before she got herself seriously injured. He may not do it for anyone else but she holds a soft spot where he is concerned. Well the future chapters will clarify the complicated situation with Fierro Endocruz :)