A Woman Behind These Clothes
Summary: After concealing her true gender for years, Juushiro Ukitake thought she had the art of hiding mastered...but then Ichigo, in all his brash glory, happened to stumble across her secret. Is there a way to keep the loud orange-hair substitute soul-reaper quiet? Probably not...
Pairings: Ichigo/Ukitake, Renji/Byakuya. Friendship: Kyouraku and Ukitake, Rukia and Ukitake.
Disclaimer: Don't own any of the characters associated with the Anime of Bleach.
Warnings: Juushiro Ukitake is dictated as a female in gender in this story. Yes, I am well aware that he is male in both Manga and anime, but work with me here. Yaoi is featured in this story as well. Don't like? Then back out now...
AN: Hello again. Just thought I let everyone that I had written another Female!Ukitake fic if you're interested. It's called "An Unexpected Christmas Gift". Be sure to check it when you can.
Thanking; MaliciousDoughnut, shadowgouf, bleachfan78, Aldo Montoya, Aoi-Mizu (thanks for the rant ^^), ChillyRaven (they will kiss eventually, of course), Harteramo, Grinja, CleverPhoenix, Tango Dancer, itachiluver397, Titekubo-sama, patrickc94, H-Ren (answer your question in a sec), Crazy Hyper Lady, Foxcklee, WinterMission, thyrokio, ironjaw, Your loyal reader and ramenwriter15 for taking the time to review. Love hearing from all of you.
Oh, and to remind a few of my readers as to where in the timeline this is taking place, it's after Aizen's betrayal. Why? Because when I started this fic, I own the series up until that point and I prefer to work from there as I can re-watch those disks as many times as I want. Besides, I live in Australia and it takes forever for the series to come out here. One disk every two or three months? Torture, I tell you! So, yeah, that's why Ichigo didn't go all badass on Kenpachi previously. Yes, I have seen past that point, if you want to know. Sorry for any confusion, but I did state it in the first chapter.
Comments, suggestions and rants are always appreciated. In fact, rants are encouraged! Let me know what you think.
Chapter 11:
"How long have you known our captain is a woman?"
There, she asked him as straight forward as she could. Rukia had known Ichigo for a while now and knew that he hated to be jerked around, forced to answer riddles, preferring someone to simply state things to him as bluntly as possible.
And Rukia had always tried to be straight forward with Ichigo through everything.
It was a risk to ask so plainly, yes, as there might have been a slight possibility that Ichigo really wasn't aware of Captain Ukitake's true gender. However, the moment Rukia saw Ichigo's expression become blank with shock; his face paling and his body posture tensing just a little told her that she was indeed correct with her assumption.
Ichigo knew.
How he found out and how long he has known was what she didn't know, but she was going to find out.
Come hell or high water; she was going to find out.
Silence reigned for a few moments longer, Ichigo looking up at her in surprise while Rukia continued to look stern, her eyes narrowed in a fairly accusing way. She could feel the spiritual pressures of her fellow Division members as they pass the securely closed door, walking pass at an abnormally slow speed. Kiyone and Sentaro must have mentioned to everyone that she was going to speak with Ichigo today regarding Captain Ukitake in effort not to disturb them, but they should have known that it would not have worked out that way.
Whenever there was a conversation wherein the name of their captain should arise, everyone within the division, no matter what rank or seat they were, would always linger in the background silently, waiting to hear what they had to say and how they said it. The majority of the time it was praise on Captain's Ukitake's kindness and grace, but there are a few simpletons who like to...comment on Ukitake's sickness.
Heaven help any poor fool who dared to call Captain Ukitake weak.
Yes, they were a tad protective of their captain. Deal with it.
Ichigo swallowed thickly for a moment, no doubt being able to sense the magnitude of Division members in the background as well before he gave a somewhat nervous laugh and scratched the back of his head. "What are you talking about?"
He was trying to play ignorant, hmm? Ah, no, that was not going to work.
"Ichigo," Rukia said his name with a low, decidedly serious tone of voice, her stern posture not faltering one little bit. "You called captain Ukitake a 'her'."
"Er, I did?" Ichigo muttered as he froze, his eyes darting off to the side in an attempt to shift through his memories for the moment he accidentally slipped up.
"Yes," Rukia said, deciding to remind him herself. "When I told you that Captain Kenpachi was trying to pick a fight with Captain Ukitake, remember? I believe your exact words were-"
Rukia then drew in a deep breath before clasping her hand into a fist, positioning it menacingly in front of her and did her best imitation of Ichigo's voice. "Dammit, if he hurts her, I'll really kill Kenpachi this time!"
Yes, that was it. Ichigo really said that out loud, his spiritual pressure fluctuating wildly upon those words. Rukia must admit that it wasn't so much that he called her Captain a her that surprised her, it was the obviously protectiveness flowing off of him in waves. At that moment she didn't have time to allow this information to sink in before Ichigo grabbed her by the shoulder and demanded to know where Captain Ukitake was before taking off in the blink of an eye.
It wasn't until they retired back to the Ugendō and she watched as her Captain tend to Ichigo's minor head wound did the implications of the day finally sink it.
Standing protectively in front of Captain Ukitake, pulling her clothes tighter around her form, refusing to allow her to participate in battle because of her torn clothing, the way he practically crushed her against his chest, it was simply impossible to conceive that he didn't know of her true gender.
Realization immediately flittered across Ichigo's face and he knew, with a sense of dread, that he was trapped. If he fled now, not only would he have Captain Kenpachi and Division 11 after him, he'd have Division 13 as well as Division 8, most likely. "Er...Listen, Rukia, you can't-"
"How long have you've known?" Folding her arms back over her chest, Rukia straightened her posture as she pinned Ichigo with a glare.
Ichigo suddenly breathed a sigh of defeat, dropping her chin to his chest as he roughly scratched his hair. "Well," he started to say before he abruptly snapped his head up, utter confusion as well as realization marring his face. "Wait a minute...you're not surprised?"
Rukia resisted the urge to roll her eyes and unfurled her arms to rest her hands on her hips. "I've known my captain's true gender for a while."
Ichigo blinked, stupefied. "How?"
"Hey, I should be the one asking you that!" Rukia immediately reminded him, throwing out her arm to point an accusing finger directly at Ichigo as she tried to tower of him.
Ichigo no longer looked intimidated, only perplexed and a little bit curious, signalling that it was Rukia's turn to breathe a sigh of defeat.
"Anyway, it was when I first was referred to Division thirteen," she explained as she curled her legs underneath her as she knelt down upon the mats in front of Ichigo. "Kaien would pull every new recruit aside and tell them of our captain's poor health as well as her true gender. He wouldn't go in great detail why Captain Ukitake was hiding her gender; he just said it was beneficial to her health and that we should refer to her as male all the time."
Looking back now, Rukia remembered the surprise she felt when Kaien told her this piece of information, but the way he delivered it, as if it was hardly a big deal made her not question it. And the deeper she got involved with her new Division, she realized that it really wasn't a big deal; Captain Ukitake was kind, compassionate and understanding regardless of what gender she was.
Ichigo appeared surprised at her explanation however. "Really?"
"Now, you're turn," Rukia said, turning the conversation back to him. "How did you find out?"
The previous feelings of unease and nervousness returned and Ichigo subconsciously scooted away. "Well, I don't really want to say."
"Oh," Rukia said as she raised a sceptical eyebrow at him. "And why not?"
"It might get me killed?" Ichigo said as he indicated toward the door behind her with a discreet tilt of his head. The room was practically surrounded with her fellow Division members now; pressed up against the door, lingering under the window outside, some even pressing their ears against the tiles on the roof. The sudden realization caused a prickly shiver to race down her spine from the combined spiritual pressures all mixing together.
However, that shiver quickly formed into a bristle when the meaning of Ichigo's words sunk in and she glared at him, the brow above her right eye twitching ever so dangerously. "...What did you do?" she asked with a low growl in her voice.
"Nothing!" Ichigo immediately protested his innocence as he scrambled away. "It was an accident, I swear!"
"Ichigo!" Rukia immediately sprung to her feet and stomped over to him to literally glare down at him. "Tell me how you found out and tell me now!"
Sensing the impending doom in her voice, Ichigo quickly climbed to his feet as well, inching toward the exit, knowing what he'll say next will probably lead to something far more terrifying than a Hollow attack.
"I accidentally stumbled across her while she was taking a bath, ok?!" he blurted out.
"What?!" Rukia immediately exploded, a flaring blush of indignity blazing across her cheeks fand nose. "You pervert, how dare you?!"
A flustered scowl immediately adorned Ichigo's features. "I said it was an accident!"
Rukia's arms were now flailing about at her sides, trying to comprehend what she was hearing. "You saw my captain naked?!"
"I saw her in a towel!" Ichigo corrected her loudly, the two of them now yelling at each other in that tiny room, seeming unconcerned for the hoards of Division members growing in size just outside the door. "She was covered, I swear!"
"That's beside the point!" Rukia said as her expression took on this comically frazzled state. "How? Why?"
"Kenpachi was trying to kill me, that's why! I had to do something!"
"But my Captain's bathroom?!"
"I was desperate!"
"That doesn't make it any less perverted!"
"I'm not a pervert!"
"What else do you call someone who stormed into the bathroom while someone else was in there?!"
"Argh! Look, I said I was sorry and she accepted it!" Ichigo said loudly as he threw his hands up into the air in front of him, sounding as if he was trying to tell everyone within hearing range of the innocent intentions in his actions. "She even allowed me access to the Ugendō if Kenpachi decided he wanted to go hunting again. I haven't told a single soul about her secret and I won't. I like and respect Captain Ukitake; I respect her kindness, understanding and her positive personality. I would never, ever do anything to make her feel uncomfortable!"
Rukia was taken by surprise by Ichigo's outburst. Everyone appeared to be if she went by the sudden drop in Spiritual Pressure. "Ichigo...?"
"And I would never do anything to hurt her," he continued to rave, seemingly unaware of the shock and awe he had unwillingly caused, his arms flailing about erratically as he tried to make his point, his voice taking on a more protective, edgier tone the more he spoke.
"Sure, she's a captain and I know she can take care of herself, but I don't care!" he exclaimed with defiance. "It was my fault that Kenpachi attacked her yesterday and I can assure you it won't happen again! If I have to beat the crap out of Kenpachi to make sure it doesn't happen again, then I'll do it! I won't allow anyone to hurt her ever again, ok?!"
Rukia stood stock still in silence, her face oddly blank as she blinked a few times. "Ah, ok..."
That was...a little out of character, and yet not really. Ichigo was always blatantly honest whenever he was flustered about something. And when he set his focus on something there was very little anyone could do to change his mind.
Ah, well, at least she and her fellow Division members can rest easy now that they know of Ichigo's true intentions toward their beloved captain. They might not be able to take care of Captain Ukitake they way they want, but at least they can trust Ichigo to do what they can't.
"So, anyway..." Ichigo said as he scratched the back of his head in a sign of embarrassment, no doubt from his outburst and settled himself back onto the mats on the floor. "Everyone in the squad knows?"
"Yes, that's right." Rukia, too, settled back down, folding her legs underneath her and placing her hands on her lap, the two of them calming down significantly from their yelling match. She could even feel their audience outside begin to dwindle, seemingly happy with what they heard as well.
There was going to be some whispering done tonight.
Ichigo nodded his head in silent understanding as he folded his arms over his chest, dropping his eyes to the floor in thought before turning his gaze, shimmering with a sense of confusion, back to her.
"Hey, Rukia, why did you come to me when Ukitake was forced to battle Kenpachi?" he asked.
"Ah, well, I guess it's because I knew you would help," Rukia explained as she gave a small shrug of her shoulder. "Kiyone and Santaro had told me what you've done for Captain Ukitake."
A slight frown touched Ichigo's lips. "I've done nothing more than what anyone would have done."
Rukia felt this sudden pain of guilt grip at her heart and she gave Ichigo a slightly depressed look. "How we wish to treat Captain Ukitake and how we do are two different things."
His confusion only grew. "What do you mean?"
"We're bound by the invisible law that no matter what happens; we are to abide by our superior's word," she went on to explain as she dropped her head a little, her hands on her lap gripping tightly at her kimono. "If Captain Ukitake insists that he, I mean she is fine and not to worry, we must simply nod our heads and listen."
And she really hated that. She hated how she was not able to push aside all protocol and insist that her captain take a break when she had worked hard on her paper work. Hated how she wasn't able to reach forward with her hand to feel her forehead when she knew, by the flush on Captain Ukitake's cheeks, that she had a fever and should be resting.
But what she hated the most was how Captain Ukitake would insist that she wasn't worth worrying about when she clearly was. She wanted to jump up and protest, but she couldn't; her brother had taught her to never question her captain's words as they were the law.
And so, she, along with every single one of her fellow Division members, was forced to leave that claim undisputed, no matter how wrong they felt it was.
"But you," Rukia continued, lifting her head to look straight into Ichigo's eyes. "You Ichigo are bound by no such thing. You have no captain, no superior. You have no obligation to follow any rules set by our captains. You do as you please."
Yesterday was a fine example of that.
"That's why, Ichigo," she finished softly.
Ichigo appeared to be quite literally stunned by her words, his expression oddly blank. But then, slowly, surprise melted into a rare warmth and he smiled softly at her. "You care quite a lot for Ukitake, don't you?"
"We just...want her to stay with us for a long time yet," Rukia said as a smile of her own graced her lips and she thought about her Captain; her peaceful and gentle presence. Thinking or talking about Captain Ukitake would bring a smile to anyone's lips, she was sure. "She's so kind...to everyone, no matter who they are."
"Yeah, she is, isn't she?" Ichigo agreed fondly.
"It really didn't seem to matter to her that I came from the Kuchiki family; she treated me, as my own person, with kindness, understanding and respect. She and Kaien were the first to ever do that for me," she confessed.
"She's something special, alright," Ichigo said with a light chuckle before a slightly annoyed look marred his face and he muttered darkly. "If only there was a way to convince her to take better care of herself. She's always putting herself last, and to be quite frank, that annoys the hell out of me."
Rukia couldn't agree more. "I'm glad that you've taken a liken to my Captain, Ichigo."
"Does Ukitake know that you know about her gender?" Ichigo suddenly asked her.
Rukia faltered for a moment, her eyes widening slightly. "Ah, I'm not sure..."
"You should tell her," Ichigo suggested with a small, careless shrug of his shoulder. "I'm sure she'll be glad to hear about it."
"But-"
"There's nothing be nervous about, Rukia," Ichigo said as he cut her off and climbed to his feet, stretching his limbs over his head. "This is Ukitake we're talking about, remember? She'd soon stab herself in the foot then get angry at one of her division members, am I right?"
"That's true," Rukia murmured as she silently recalled all the times her captain could have easily yelled at Kiyone and Sentaro for disrupting the peace but didn't. In fact, speaking with Captain Ukitake about this just might help her to understand how far her squad was willing to go for her.
"I would actually like to speak with her for a bit. Could you-?"
"Make myself scarce?" Ichigo finished for her. "Sure. I'll be back in a few hours. I need to speak with Renji about something, anyway."
Rukia found herself smiling up at him. "Thanks Ichigo."