The next morning Kai Mizuki woke to an unusual visitor.

"You look like trash," Ayasegawa Yumichika informed the prone shinigami. As usual, every strand of hair was in place.

Mizuki managed a smile. "It's good to see you too, Ayasegawa-san."

The fifth seat's gaze did not waver as he looked her from head to toe and back to her face again. "Did Kotetsu-fukutaichou say what you're down with?"

"Internal imbalance. Too much Society hopping has affected my involuntary reiatsu control and some other medical jargon I didn't really get." Mizuki hissed as she sat up; she had a sore back from the too-soft bedding. She drank before addressing her morning guest. "What is it?"

"Ikkaku's upset. Because of you."

"What?"

"He's broody. And a broody Ikkaku is no fun to be around, let me assure you that. Fix it."

Yumichika stalked out of the room, leaving a faint scent of cedar and cinnamon.

-----------

When Ikkaku finally dragged himself to the ward, he found Mizuki alone.

She was looking at the door and visibly brightened up when she saw him enter. "Ikkaku!"

"Hey, Mizuki." He tried to upbeat but had no heart to be cheerful. Seeing the slight fall in Mizuki's expression, he forced himself to smile. "You look better."

As he squeezed into the space left beside her on the bed, she snuggled under his proffered arm. "I missed you."

"We saw each other yesterday. What's to miss?"

Mizuki was silent, her fingers fidgeting with the blanket covering her legs. Then she decided the truth was easier. "Ayasegawa-san dropped by this morning."

"Oh." Ikkaku rubbed his nose uneasily. "Look, whatever he said-"

"What did I do that upset you, Ikkaku?"

Looking at her earnest face, Ikkaku softened. "I just... I found out some things from Kuchiki-taichou. About you... and him."

Mizuki set her jaw. "And?"

"I'm not entirely comfortable with the fact," the third seat took a deep breath, "with the fact that you once slept with your captain."

"I see." She withdrew from his embrace. "Did he tell you anything else?"

"... he mentioned the circumstances in which everything occurred." Ikkaku bit his lower lip. This was ridiculous. If he had any amount of sense he'd stop talking.

"He did, did he?"

"... and I pressed him for details."

"What did he tell you?"

"Everything."

Mizuki sat silent. Her fingers worked on the blanket: clenching, relaxing, tearing at a small hole. "I'm going to kill him," she said at last.

------------

"Atchoo!"

"Nii-sama, are you feeling alright?"

------------

Ikkaku held out his arms to block her route to the door. "Not to repeat myself, but you can't."

"Give me a damn good reason." She tightened her sword about her waist.

"He's a captain who can thrash half of Seireitei without breaking a sweat. You're so ill you can barely stand."

"Not good enough." Mizuki tried to push Ikkaku out of her way but instead slipped and grabbed onto him for support. He graabbed her by the waist just before she hit the floor. "Fine. Good enough."

"Now stay put." Ikkaku carried her back to bed. As he inhaled the exotic scent of rose and sandalwood, his libido reacted. "Promise you'll stay and heal?"

"No way in hell."

"Are you contagious?"

"Probably not."

"I found one way."

-------------------

"You seem happy."

"Thanks, Yumi."

The two strolled down the street. Yumichika flipped his hair. "So did you clarify?"

"Uh, no. I got sidetracked." Ikkaku couldn't suppress the smirk on his lips.

"I bet you did."

"Shaddup. Let's see what else needs doing."

-------------------

Gin lowered the binoculars.

"You're really an evil bastard, you know that?"

"Coming from you, I'll take it as the highest form of compliment. What else did you see?"

"Your girl's completely out of it."

Aizen frowned slightly. "He's that good?"

"Or she's that lonely." Gin's smile faded for a moment. A flash of auburn, a hint of pink."People get skin-hungry, taichou."

"Poor baby." The smile on Aizen's face was the smile of the respected captain of the fifth division.

------------------

"So this one before meals, these two after?"

"Yes." Unohana wrote the prescription out in her neat hand. "The combination of these three will affect your sensory perceptions though, so I'm allowing you to go home and recuperate."

"And also not turn insane and kill people?"

Unohana sighed. "The last time you lost control of your emotions you sent three shinigami to ER. The last shinigami using similar pills used his zanpakuto to demolish the hospital wing. Do the math. Be sensible, Kai-san."

Mizuki smiled perkily. "I always am."

"Like this morning? I thought I instructed you to not engage in vigorous activity until I give the green light."

"Eh... ahahaha." She could always see through me. Mizuki tossed her old uniform into the bag Unohana thoughtfully provided and flashed the mildly amused captain a brighter smile. "Bye."

The captain watched her former subordinate dash out of the hospital. "Ogido-san, please remember to change the bedding." As she paused to rearrange the pillow, the bed crashed to the floor. "And perhaps charge a new bed to Kai's san's bill as well."

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A/N: Some changes: 11 is not M-rate, 12 is, and Aizen is a control freak. For happy, shiny people, you might want to wait a little longer :)

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