A Rose by Any Other Name

A/N: IkkakuNemu is starting to grow on me for some reason. Anyway, the meaning for names were kindly supplied by a member of the LJ community, soul(underscore)society. Nemu, being written in katakana, has really no meaning. But after checking out a dictionary, it hit me like a ton of bricks - 'Nemu' could be the Japanese pronunciation for 'Name' in English.

Someone may have already figured that one out earlier in which case I'm just rather slow. But nevertheless, I certainly couldn't resist that, could I? (and it has furthered fueled my conviction that Mayuri-taichou's an arse. Forgive me but he is.)

Disclaimer: Despite being in the middle of my exams, I'm writing. If that level of insanity doesn't prove my inability to hold the copyrights to a great anime like Bleach, I don't know what is. All credit to Kubo Tite for his characters and his genius for creating such great ones.

-ººº-

The matter had come up some days ago. Somehow or other, at a drinking party, people had gotten round to name analyzing. Like Rangiku-san being a chaotic chrysanthemum (her parents knew her too well) or Iba-san being the Left Iron Defense Gate of Soul Society. Drunk rubbish like that.

When it came to her though, she shook her head. She didn't know the meaning of her name and no one had cared to tell her.

Until now that is as Ichigo piped up. He was underage but had been dragged along anyway. He'd been sitting with a mostly amused expression on his face (occasionally getting up to yell and threaten/challenge) when he pondered this.

Her name literally meant that. "Name". It was taken from English according to the orange-headed boy.

Everyone had exchanged looks as best as they could while remaining completely inebriated. She just maintained her poker face, quietly thanking Ichigo for informing her. After that, they'd moved onto personal insults from the names and some other stuff he couldn't remember.

But right now, all he could remember was the fact that she had no meaning to her name.

And for some reason it was driving him up the wall.

Even if you couldn't be bothered to think up any creative names for your kid, then at least choose an already established one. Sakura maybe, or Keiko. At least they had meanings behind them, common as they were. It didn't take much brainwork to think of names like that.

It irked him to think of people just calling her "Name".

For one thing, she was worth more than that. And for another, it only drew more attention to her state of being – quiet, silent, forever taking all kinds and degrees of shit from her captain. Didn't make things any better to remember that the man was her father, the sameguy who couldn't think up anything to name her except 'Name'.

Then again, could anyone expect anything else from the very same person who kicked the shit out of his own daughter for, ten out of ten times, no damn good reason? And they called his captain a demon. Yeah, right. Look the other way towards the 12th division lodge where there were thumps and thuds of someone being thrown against the walls and then talk to him about being inhumane.

He may have been put into the 11th division for good reason but even he had the sense to know that you don't fight someone who's not willing to fight back. That was just plain yellow bellied to the point of disgusting.

But heck if he could do a single damn thing about that situation. And neither could the rest.

He let out a breath as he walked. There was an unwritten rule amongst their little community: whatever dirt you're digging in your own division, the rest wouldn't try to find out. Keep to your quarters and I'll keep to mine. That was the guideline that was meant to keep the peace.

Of course, if she just said one word, most of the other divisions' vice captains and lower seats would rush in to help, without doubt. She was a popular person with them, quiet as she was. They just wouldn't interfere because of her obvious fierce loyalty and the captain's reputation.

Well, this wasn't interference really. This was… something he couldn't quite place his finger on but this definitely wasn't interference.

He stopped suddenly and leaned against a wall. Crossing his arms and closing his eyes, he proceeded to wait.

It wasn't too long before he heard very light footsteps along the path and the thrumming of her reiatsu coming nearer. He opened his eyes and looked up, knowing that if he said nothing, she wouldn't stop to find out why he was apparently lounging against the wall near the 12th division lodge.

"Kurotsuchi-fukutaichou."

She blinked at him but nodded. "Madarame-san."

He motioned for her to come closer. "Ehh… could I have a word with ya? It'll take just a minute."

"…" She nodded again, following him as he quickly left, the unusual but recognized prickly feeling of uneasiness running up and down his spine. It wasn't anything to do with the fact that he could be potentially murdered. (that potential was ever present in the 11th division). It was what he was about to do that gave him the creepy feeling that was currently gnawing at him like Yachiru gnawing on his skull.

She'd probably think of him as a real jerk or a Creep with a capital C for doing this. And truth be told, he was starting to wonder if he should just make up some cover story about fukutaichou needing a comb for her hair and if she could lend him one before Yachiru decided to chew instead of just scrape the top of his scalp with her teeth.

But when they stopped some way in between the 11th and 12th division lodges, and she looked at him in quiet curiousity, he knew he had to do it, if only to not wonder "what if".

"…might as well get it over with…" he muttered to himself before clearing his throat. "Look, I know this'll sound really strange but… eh…" his voice tumbled in on itself.

She blinked, tilting her head. "I apologize, Madarame-san… I couldn't hear your last words."

Dammit, Madarame, be a man! Imagine what taichou's gonna think of ya!

I'm gonna kill ya fer embarrassin' the rest of us like this.

But taichou-!

Waii, Pachinko-tama's a too big scaredy cat to talk to a girl! Scaredy cat Pachinko-tama!

Oi, that's not-

As I figured, Ikkaku, only beautiful people can talk to other beautiful people. You're not even pretty enough to talk to her-

I'll show YOU how pretty a black and blue eye would look on ya if ya keep that up, Yumi…

"…Madarame-san?"

He coughed, mentally dissolving the voices in his head and looked up at her. "…do ya want my name?"

She blinked some more, trying to comprehend this strange request and failing. "I'm sorry… I don't understand."

Course' she wouldn't. I'd look at me funny too if someone said somethin' like that to me. He rubbed the back of his head, letting loose a small sigh. "…it's like this. Ya remember that sake party last week?"

An affirmative nod. "Yes."

"Well, I kinda thought, y'know, maybe ya'd like another name other than Nemu. I mean, it's not like Nemu doesn't sound pretty an' all, it's just… after Ichigo said it just meant 'name' I just wondered if… uh, if ya'd like another name. I ain't too good with words so I just thought mebbe ya could just take part of mine or somethin…" Ikkaku didn't dare look at her after this explanation. Even by eleventh division intelligence standards, which admittedly weren't too high, that had been a stupid speech. He'd have to inflict a severe punishment on himself after this for being so pathetic.

"…but…"

He looked up now. Her poker face had cracked slightly, giving way to a somewhat confused, yet reluctant expression.

"…my name… was given by Mayuri-sama. Only he can change my name… isn't that so?"

Trust her to give a reply like that, he figured. "Course' not. He gave it to ya, din' he? Means it's yours. Ya can do what ya want with your name. I mean c'mon… it's yours." He emphasized the last word for good measure.

She slowly absorbed this new information, digested it and with rising (but hurriedly subdued again) delight, found that it could make sense. She cautiously tested it for weak points.

"…Mayuri-sama would never allow me to change my name."

He waved that off like a fly. "Ah, he doesn't need ta know. Heck, ya don't even have ta tell anyone 'bout it. Just… just kinda think of it as yours…" He grimaced at the way he was speaking. "Okay, I admit it don't make much sense but uh…"

He was suddenly cut off. "If you give me your name… then you won't have one of your own."

"…" She was taking this literally, he realized. It was easier that way too, he supposed as he shrugged. "I don't really mind. Ya could take the whole thing or just the parts ya like. S'up to ya."

"…Ikme."

He stared. "…I, Ikme? One Eye?"

She nodded. "Is that alright?"

He blinked some more before nodding. A tad strange perhaps but…

"Yeah, that sounds good."

That was Nemu-Ikme all over.

He grinned. "Good choice."

And because they were far away from the 12th division, because they were alone and because Ikkaku-san had been kind enough to share his name with her… she offered him a tiny smile, more than words could say.

"I better go, Madara-san… thank you."

He nodded. "See ya… Ikme-fukutaichou."

For the second time in that few minutes, she flashed him a grateful, tiny smile before flitting off quickly.

Ikkaku, feeling particularly light, walked on back to his own division, whistling through his teeth. Those two barely there smiles she had given him told him that he had done the right thing, as small a gesture as it was. Even if he couldn't stop Kurotsuchi-taichou from treating his daughter like a punching bag… at least he'd shown her that someone valued her more than that, enough to try and convince her of that too by offering her his name.

Then again, thought the third seat to himself, no matter what her name was, she'd still be important to him in ways he'd only begun to figure out and would never understand. (and would never admit either).

The others would never know whatever had just taken place. He would never call her Ikme-fukutaichou in public and she would call him Madarame-san as per usual.

But just occasionally, when they found that they were by themselves with no one else around, he'd give her a quick grin and ask how Ikme was doing.

A corner of her lips would tilt upwards as she answered she was alright, Madara-san.

The End.

A/N2: ...I apologize if I've made any of you blink and go "what the heck was that?" I think I was trying to squeeze a lot out of something small. Geh... hope you have a nice day anyway and thanks for reading!