When the bell tower chimed, Kira's eyes finally fluttered open to the daylight in the empty room. He stretched his arms comfortably as he sat up, yawning, looking around the strangely neat room and giving a small smile to himself. He couldn't remember the last time he had gotten such complete, undisturbed sleep, so restful, even, that it was devoid of dreams. He got to his feet quickly, eager to start a new day, pushing into the back of his mind the thought that he might not feel this way tomorrow. But a day of rest was a day of rest. And he was thankful for it.
"Good morning, Taichou," he said brightly to the silver-haired figure standing by the table in the office.
Gin nodded to him and smiled softly. "Ya seem cheerful."
"Yes," Kira answered, returning the smile. "I . . .slept well." Gin nodded again. There was something not quite right. Was it just an illusion, or did his Captain look somewhat disheveled? But as Gin stood up straight, he appeared perfectly trim. Kira blinked. It was probably a trick of the light.
"So, you're picking me up for training after the meeting?" Kira asked.
Gin looked puzzled. "Trainin'? Ya don' really need that from me no more."
"I don't?" Kira asked, equally confused. "But I'm not exactly . . . confident in my abilities."
"Work wit' what ya got," Gin replied, ruffling Kira's hair with a strange smile on his face. "Gotta go. See ya."
Kira tried to follow him out the door, but he was gone as soon as he turned the corner. He shrugged off his Captain's strangely distant behavior, and headed to where he was supposed to be.
A sudden pang came to his stomach as soon as he entered the room. He was unsure of why momentarily, as the room was half-empty and there weren't any unfriendly eyes staring him down. But seeing Shuuhei in the corner made him remember that he left yesterday on anything but good terms. Hisagi didn't look like he had forgotten, avoiding glancing at Kira as though he carried some foul disease. He felt the color rise in his face, but kept on the same sheepish smile, trying hard to see the bright side of the day. It had started so nicely.
Hinamori was in her setting, carrying on a conversation slightly awkwardly with the pretty 10th Squad Vice-Captain. He tried to take his place without interrupting them, but she spotted him and turned to greet him.
"I'm glad to see you're happier, Kira-kun," Hinamori said. "I was starting to think that it was Vice-Captain demeanor to be so serious all the time."
"Hardly," the redheaded woman intervened. She smiled kindly. "Just had a bad day, I'm sure. We haven't been properly introduced, by the way," she added cheerfully to Kira. "Tenth Squad Fukutaichou, Rangiku Matsumoto."
"Erm, Sanbantai Fukutaichou Izuru Kira," he said off-hand.
"Sanbantai . . ." she drifted off slightly as though trying to remember what memory was stirred by the mention of his squad. "Gin's squad?" she perked up with an answer.
"Yes," he answered, wondering how everyone knew that. "Wait--" he realized something about her reply. "You called him--"
"Oh, Kira-kun, the First Squad Vice-Captain is here," Hinamori interrupted. "Better get back to your spot." Kira obliged grudgingly, wanting to press Matsumoto for more information as to why she addressed his Captain so casually. She was a Vice-Captain, too, but surely it wasn't out of disrespect that she called him by first-name. Renji, for one, hated Gin, but still addressed him by surname. No, first-name basis was something among close friends, or people even closer. He went slightly redder at the thought, but put this whole affair aside as he noticed Shuuhei once again. That had to come first: besides, what was it to him if Matsumoto was close friends with his Captain? It was not unusual for people to have friends, and Kira had yet to meet any of Gin's.
After the meeting, Kira struggled to get to Hisagi before he walked out, still with that same disgusted expression on his face.
"Hisagi-san!" he called.
Shuuhei did not respond, but tried to push his way out a little bit more hastily.
"Hisagi-san!" he tried again, slightly more desperate. Shuuhei still did not respond, though Kira was positive this time that he heard him. He tried once more. "Senpai!"
This time, Shuuhei stopped where he stood, turned around and gave Kira a look that said, quite clearly, that he did not want to speak to him ever again. That was more than he had been expecting. But nonetheless, he swallowed his pride.
"Senpai," he said, bowing deeply, "The way I acted yesterday . . . I was out of line. Completely. I don't know what came over me. I . . . threatened Renji, that was despicable of me. And then I argued that fact with you. I'm so sorry."
Shuuhei was temporarily speechless, considering Kira's apology as though trying to decipher whether it was genuine. "Apology accepted," he said, finally, shaking Kira's hand. Kira nodded happily. "Relay the message to Renji," Shuuhei continued.
"Of course," Kira said, smiling at how forgiving Shuuhei was. Shuuhei seemed to read his mind.
"Partly," he noted, "I forgave you because I noticed, for once, you don't have your sword on you."
Kira looked down at his own hip. It hadn't even occurred to him that he hadn't anything to do after the meeting. It was so natural to assume he would be spending the next few hours defending himself, getting his fingers cut up, but today was different. But now, he wondered, bubbling with excitement, what was there to do? Absentmindedly studying the tattoo on Hisagi's arm, he remembered the offer made to him all that time ago. He wondered if it was still valid. But he'd better not push his luck.
"Thank you, Hisagi-san," he bowed. "I'd better go look for Renji-san." He bade farewell to Hinamori, who was off to meet with her white-haired friend, and went on a search for his red-haired one.
It was when he reached Squad Eleven that he finally found him, standing in the warm sun with his sword drawn, panting, and facing a man with a gleaming hairless head holding a spear. By that time, Kira was out of breath and had mistaken three other people for Renji. He waited on the sidelines for them to finish, watching them. Renji really was quite good, able to counter the bald man's attacks before even releasing his shikai. It was entertaining just to watch. Was that what he and his Captain looked like while training, two graceful and skilled swordsmen engaged in mock battle? Or did it look more like a wolf cornering his prey?
At last, they seemed finished, the bald man's spear turned back into a katana, and they both sheathed their swords. Kira took a step out of the shadows, working up his courage, but didn't have time before Renji spotted him. He seemed startled for a moment, then gestured to the bald man, and the two of them walked away. Kira followed before he lost them, still unsure of how to apologize, but had to grab his attention somehow.
"Abarai-kun," he called, as he had with Hisagi. But unlike with Hisagi, Renji turned right around and shouted back.
"Get off my back," he hissed.
Kira frowned. "I came to apologize."
"Had a guilt-trip?" Renji spat. "Or did your Captain just tell you to apologize?"
"No! I . . . said some terrible things yesterday. I didn't mean them. I was just . . . saying what I thought was right."
Renji folded his arms. "And . . .?" he pressed.
"I was wrong," Kira continued, ignoring the intrigued looks from the bald man, "and I'm sorry."
Renji smiled and nodded. "You'd better be," he said, half-jokingly, but his eyes were dead serious. Kira nodded sadly. "I'm glad you apologized so soon," he continued. "It was annoying that the day after I finally got you out of your little hidey-hole you go and act like a total ass. You're forgiven."
"Thank you," Kira said, relieved.
"I know you, Kira, you're not usually like that," he said. "You came out to Squad Eleven to find me, and all."
"I saw you practicing," Kira said, "you're quite amazing. Both of you." He boldly addressed the bald man, who smiled but rolled his eyes.
"Kira, this is Ikkaku Madarame-Senpai," Renji said, taking a step aside. "Third Seat of Eleventh Squad. We've been training together. He is quite amazing. Madarame-Senpai, this is Third Squad Vice-Captain, Izuru Kira. Friend of mine."
"Vice-Captain, eh?" Ikkaku started, "how about you and I test out our skills?"
"I'm unarmed," Kira said quickly, thankful that he did not have the need to bring Wabisuke today.
"Well, anyway, Kira," Renji went on, "us and a few others are gonna go hang out tonight in the outskirts of Squad Nine. You . . .want to come?"
Kira smiled. "Yes, I would," he answered sincerely, wondering if he would actually be able to.
He finished his paperwork early, with no distractions hissing instructions in his ear. It was a bit lonely, but at least it was progressive. As he stacked the completed papers in a corner on the desk, he got to thinking. Gin hadn't been around all day. The last time Kira went a whole morning without seeing his Captain, Gin had been angry indeed with his assistant, although he hadn't shown it.
He felt slightly relieved as the door slid open and a silver shadow filled the room. He stood up and bowed to greet him. If he asked permission, maybe, he could get away for a night.
"Lo, Izuru," Gin said, smiling half-heartedly. He noted the heap of papers on the desk. "Finished?"
"Yes," Kira answered quickly. "I –um – was wondering if I could possibly – since I finished the paperwork – go out . . . with some friends tonight."
"Why," Gin started, "are ya askin' permission fer that?"
Kira could not answer. He had always naturally assumed that Gin was going to object, that Gin was irked by the idea of Kira having a life outside of himself. But now that he had heard with his own ears that it was not so, he was unsure of how to react.
"See ya later, then," Gin continued, nearly laughing at Kira's inability to speak.
Kira nodded, both excited and nervous. After all this time, he was finally having some time with his friends. But what would it be like when he came back?
He stumbled home when was pitch black both inside and outside the building. It had been a fun night, though slightly awkward at times when everyone else was half-drunk. They had sat around for hours, talking, drinking, making jokes, and gossiping. Kira had mostly listened, feeling relaxed, and had been careful not to drink a lot. He laughed to himself at the thought of Renji's red face and absolutely unhinged drunken demeanor, remembering when Ikkaku thought a tree was challenging him and threatened it, when Shuuhei had to run off in the middle and tripped flat on his face.
He bumped into the desk on his way to the bedroom and hoped the noise didn't stir anyone. As he approached the doorway, he lit a lamp, half expecting to find his Captain lurking in the dark there. But it was as empty as it had been the night before and that morning. Suddenly curious about something, he made his way to Gin's bedroom, still holding the lamp before him, and peered carefully into the room. A figure lay upon the mattress, breathing steadily. Kira bit his lip and headed back to his own room. He thought Gin would have waited up for him like he usually did when he went out at night. Maybe it was much later than he thought it was.
His stomach churned as he gazed around his empty room, listening to the light breathing coming from the next room. It was unnerving that Gin had let him be two days in a row. Surely he was in for something much worse when the routine resumed. Or . . . was it really nerves that made his head hurt? That made him uncomfortable to look at the empty bed for too long? Shrugging off his strange feeling, he crawled in between the sheets and fell asleep with the blanket bunched in his arms.
I'm almost desperate for websites with good Gin/Kira fanart (aside from deviantart). If anyone knows of any, or hell, if you just want to send me your own or others' fanart, please email me. (shadowcharlotte at yahoo). The more uncomfortable Kira is, the happier I am. I've resorted to watching slideshows on youtube, which often means I have to endure looking at yaoi couples of which I disapprove (I HATE Gin/Hitsugaya, by the way.)