I thank all of you whom read The Night series and I hope you enjoy it.

It'll get a bit sour for a few chapters after this but it will get better later on.

And I also give extra thanks to those whom comment/review.

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Chapter 2:

It's Okay

As Kira tried to sit comfortably in front of Kyoraku as they waited for their food to arrive he found he wanted to cry. Not only did the Taicho assume Hisagi and Kira where dating, he wants to 'talk' to Kira about it! Kira was beyond shamed and embarrassed. He was ready to just to end his own life to avoid the ridicule and shame all the others would inflict on him. Kyoraku wasn't pushing Kira luckily. They had been quiet since they left the hotel and came to the small ma and pa restaurant that offered much privacy. Kyoraku got them a table far off in the back, away from the others and the waitress didn't ask any questions about why he did or why Kira looked so miserable. She just politely took the two's orders which Kyoraku gave since Kira wasn't about to talk any time soon it seemed. She walked away but returned a few minutes later with a large bottle of sake and two red drinking bowls. Kyoraku thanked her and smiled as he cheerfully poured himself and Kira a drink. He placed Kira's in front of him and started to drink his. After a few minutes of silence Kira finally mumbled something from his lowered head. Kyoraku stopped gawking at a group of ladies and looked down at him, fully intent to listen.

"Hey-C'mon, give me a break here. I can't hear you if you talk so softly, kid." Kira raised his head slightly at that, but still looked away from Kyoraku.

"I c-could have ordered fo-for myself... s-sir..." Kira stuttered out as his fingers squirmed on each other in his lap. Kyoraku chuckled a little making Kira unconsciously shrink back into his seat.

"Well you should've spoken up than. You don't like tamagoyaki*? It's really good here, and they make it big enough to fill you."

"N-no, I d-do like it, Si-Sir." Kira glanced a look at Kyoraku and inclined his head while he faintly smiled. But before Kyoraku could even really take in the smile it was gone and Kira looked away again as he started to fidget his fingers once more. "Um, it's ju-just, well, y-you ordered s-sake for m-me, too."

"Hmm? But you drink it right? I saw you drinking it with Hisagi-fukutaicho yesterday outside the office. Didn't I?" Kira froze and stared up at Kyoraku. Kira remember how he was crying and telling Hisagi things when they were drinking.

'He knows than! He must have heard! No, no, no! What do I do? What do I do?! He'll tell what a coward and bitch I am! Oh, no! No, no..!- Kira was panicking and it slowly began to show in his eyes and face. Kyoraku must have saw this because he set down his drinking bowl and leaned forward with a more concerned, yet serious look.

"Yes. I heard what you said about Ichimaru. That's why I stayed at the hotel and waited to talk to you. You need to talk to someone, Kira-fukutaicho. It's not healthy if you keep it bottled up."

"I ha-have Shuhei-kun t-to talk wi-with! I don't need oth-"

"It's not healthy to drink and fuck your problems away either!" Kyoraku was leaning in close as he quietly spat that out at Kira. Kira creased his brows slightly and lowered his eyes to the table. He knew Kyoraku was right and it made him feel the earlier shame and disgust towards himself all over again. His fingers were no longer fidgeting. They were pressed against his hands, making them go white with his effort. Kyoraku realized he was only making Kira more reluctant to open up so he eased off and sat back and started drinking sake from his small bowl again. Kyoraku tried to give Kira time to sort his thoughts, so he started to watch the small group of pretty shinigami students chatting a few tables away. Though he was more or less just starring into space trying to figure out what he was going to do in order to get Kira to trust him enough to talk. He briefly thought he should take the youth over to Ukitake Jushiro's and the three of them talk, but he threw it out recognizing that Kira would feel even more cornered and become resentful if any more people found out. After a while the happy waitress trotted up and placed two large plates with a huge rolled omelette on each one on the table. One went in front of Kyoraku and the other in front of Kira. She than pulled out two pairs of delicate hashi* from her small apron around her waist and placed one on each side.

"Thanks a lot."

"Th-thank you, miss."

"Oh! Could you get some hot herbal tea for my friend here? I was rude cause I was hungry and didn't ask if he liked sake or not." Kyoraku chuckled warmly and the girl giggled and agreed to before she turned and went. Kira had looked up at Kyoraku briefly but was turned away again.

"Y-you didn't have t-to do that, Sir." Kyoraku looked over at Kira before turning to watch the girls get up from there table and shuffle out as they laughed and giggled. His face lost it's humor after he and Kira were finally alone in the back.

"People like them are always able to put on that innocent look and happy smile because they've never had to go through any hardships. At least not like you or myself. To them, the hardest thing is whether or not they're going to graduate from the academy right now, let alone which Squad to enter if they do. They don't have to worry about washing the blood stains off their hands or dealing with pride and shame and the situations that draw on them. We do. You did." Kyoraku glanced his eyes over to get a glimpse of what Kira was doing without moving his head. Kira had his eyes focused on watching his fingers rub his hands raw as he listened. Kyoraku knew he was listening. Kira was upset, not disrespectful. "Hisagi-fukutaicho was right when he said it that that rat Ichimaru was the one who is pathetic. You're not. You should be proud of yourself that you kept up such a well balanced facade for as long as you did. But you do realize that if you had something sooner, we might've actually caught Aizen and the others, right?"

"I... I-I never th-thought that he w-was going to get that way!" Kira jerked his head up and met Kyoraku's stare, but than he slowly lowered is eyes slightly. "He... was r-really sweet a-at first! He wo-would take me out an-and buy me s-such nice gifts. He would b-be gentle i-in bed, too..!" Kira lowered his head and closed his eyes before he continued. "Th-than he.. h-he started to g-get mad a-all of a sudden... H-he would s-say that i-it was my fault..." Kira jerked his head up again and locked eyes with Kyoraku again. "But I n-never understood wh-what for! I-I never..! I-I didn't kn-know what t-to do! He would be so l-loving one min-minute and so me-mean the ne-next!" Kira's brows were pushed up and together and his eyes where watering with the sting of fresh tears.

Kyoraku shifted in his seat as he scratched at the stubble at his chin. He looked at Kira as Kira slowly lowered and rounded his shoulders with a look of self disgust forming on his face. Kira wasn't looking at Kyoraku as he searched for the anser in the steaming hot omelette in front of himself. Kyoraku finally sighed and picked up his hasi and started to pick at his omelette. He took a big chunk and put it into his mouth and than began to chew. He swallowed and than looked at Kira. "C'mon, kid. Eat up. You need your breakfast to have strength the rest of the day."

"Ye-yes, Taicho." Kira obeyed with an almost robotic sense as he lifted his right hand and took the hashi in between his fingers and took a petite amount of egg and placed it into his mouth and than closed and chewed. Kyoraku just continued eating, observing Kira's stiff actions. After about ten minutes or so Kyoraku was nearly finished with his as Kira was only a quarter way through his. Kira was more prone to poke and lift the edges of the tamagoyaki like a child moping he didn't get his way. Though his face was drained and virtually blank of all emotions, which bothered Kyoraku slightly. He wanted to know what Kira was thinking, but at the same time didn't want to push him away when he had just started to speak up about his horrific affair with Ichimaru. Kyoraku finished off his omelette and pushed the large ceramic plate and the hashi to the edge of the table to be picked up. When he settled back he noticed Kira had given him a glance and than his plate. "Uh... T-Taicho..?"

"Go ahead and take your time. On both your food and your thoughts. We can stay here till dark to talk and eat." Kyoraku cracked a smile and laughed a little. "I don't mind. I got sake, food, money and cute waitresses to stare at. So don't hesitate. I was thinking of ordering something else anyway. I wanted to try their anpan* anyway."

"Ok, Si-Sir." Kira tugged a faded smile onto the corner of his mouth and bowed his head slightly before he continued to eat more loosely.

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*Anpan=Japanese bun with red bean paste.(1)

*Tamagoyaki=Japanese breakfast. Large rolled omelette with condiments.(2)

*Hashi=Japanese term for chopsticks.

(1), (2)