Title: Break room
Author: Tuliharja
Summary: In the Fourth division, after a long time, there is for once a peaceful moment, but it is broken because of one bloodthirsty captain. Yes, Kenpachi Zaraki is once again in need of patching up. One-shot.
Disclaimer: BLEACH belongs to Tite Kubo. I'm merely just writing fan fiction about it.
Author's note: I wanted to write a fic that would tell about "normal", daily life in Soul Society. That's why I decided to write the fic more or less from the perspective of a so-called ordinary shinigami nurse, which is nevertheless important in some way, considering the "main characters".
Thank you Ukrainian Snowstorm for betaing and helping me polish this story!
.:Break room:.
There was a calm atmosphere in the cramped break room of the Fourth division. The morning had been busy, which was nothing out of the ordinary, considering the division's tasks. As the morning slowly turned to day, the pace had calmed down considerably. It was as if all the shinigami had decided to calm down a bit. The Fourth division's job was to take care of the wounded Shinigami around Soul Society, after all.
In the break room, there was an enthusiastic discussion between the women about what they would do in the evening after their shifts. The only one who did not join in the discussion was the fifth seat. The woman remained quietly in the corner, enjoying the lively conversation of the others. She had been working hard since yesterday without really taking a proper break. You could almost say that she wasn't really interested in anything outside of her work. However, the woman liked other people's conversations a lot. It was interesting just listening to people and watching them.
Just then, the calm atmosphere in the break room was shattered when one of the division's nurses rushed in with an anxious look on her face.
"I need help! Zaraki-taichou just came-…" the nurse began as one of the women in the break room replied, "Good luck with the captain. I'm not going to go and take care of that monster."
Many others gathered in the break room also spoke about how they would not go near captain Zaraki no matter what kind of wound he had. Many in the Fourth disliked the people of the Eleventh division, and especially its captain, who was known for his brawls. The Eleventh division always produced the most patients for the Fourth because it was the most violent division in all of Soul Society.
The fifth seat sighed, getting up from her chair. She distantly remembered that the fourth and third seats were performing a mission somewhere, and Lieutenant Kotetsu and Captain Unohana were also somewhere on their own performing a mission. Slowly the fifth seat walked over to the nurse, smiling at her. The nurse was still very green, hardly even getting a permanent position. She could see how the other one's look was a mixture of worry and anxiety, it was clear Kenpachi had managed to scare the poor nurse greatly. If the fifth seat hadn't been a nurse for as long as she had, she would have chuckled. There was just something almost endearing about how the new nurses went into a full panic when Kenpachi would stroll to Fourth Division, but she knew better. The fifth seat patted the nurse on the shoulder in what she hoped would be a comforting gesture.
"I can take care of the captain." After saying this, the woman walked towards the lobby, where she felt Captain Zaraki's reiatsu coming from. She didn't bother to look behind herself to see the relief wash over the young nurse's face or how the rest of the women in the break room sighed in relief. Nor did she bother to catch the words of admiration directed towards her for being willing to go and treat Captain Zaraki when Captain Unohana wasn't around to do so. Usually treating Captain Zaraki fell on top of their beloved captain's shoulders when she was around, but not this time.
The fifth seat kept walking in a confident manner towards where she could feel Kenpachi's reiatsu. Every shinigami could easily feel the Eleventh captain's reiatsu because he was like a vessel that was already too full. Soon, she heard the irritated voice of the captain, apparently making the most inappropriate suggestions to the female nurses. Rolling her eyes, the fifth seat calmed her mind and tongue so as not to say anything that she would regret. She was still at work, which meant she had to be mindful of her manners, actions, and words.
Finally reaching the captain with her moderate pace, she looked at him quietly from the side. It seemed that Kenpachi had apparently been training with his men and somehow someone had managed to wound him in the chest.
'Poor thing,' the fifth seat thought quietly, knowing that Kenpachi wouldn't forget a cut like that. She watched indifferently as this 'poor thing' was carried inside and then taken to the operating room. It had become an almost too familiar sight, especially when the culprit was Kenpachi. The woman now glanced at the captain, who was grinning like he was a winner. The fifth seat laced her fingers together to keep her carefully built professional mask together. She wouldn't let it slip, even though she felt like commenting to Kenpachi about his current behavior. It would fall on deaf ears, after all.
"Zaraki-taichou. Follow me and I'll tend to your wounds," the woman finally said, causing the large man to turn to face her. The fifth seat looked steadily into Kenpachi's only eye, feeling no fear towards him. In her eyes, Kenpachi Zaraki, the feared leader of the Eleventh division was just a patient in need of medical treatment. At least when she was on the clock.
Now turning a full 180 degrees, she started walking towards the emergency department, trusting that the man would follow her. Soon, she heard how the small bells in his hair jingled as the man followed after her. A ghost of a smile passed on the woman's lips, yet it faded as quickly as it had appeared. The fact that Kenpachi had followed her as easily as he had felt like a small victory.
The woman led them to a small room where there was a hospital bed. Nodding her head towards the bed, Kenpachi sat down on it. The fifth seat would go quickly to get bandages and other supplies needed to patch up the captain. When she came back, she noticed how Kenpachi looked ready to leave. A glare and a snappy tongue click made the captain sit back on the bed. This only made the captain give her a wide grin, obviously testing her patience. It was obvious Kenpachi had decided to make trouble in the Fourth, like usual, but this time it seemed to be more sophisticated. The fifth seat knew she wouldn't have any other choice but to swallow the bait if she wanted to treat the daredevil captain. After all, she was still the fifth seat, which meant she had a better-than-your-average healer reputation to hold, even if it wasn't that much. Not to mention, this wasn't her first dance with the captain.
The woman now walked quietly next to the captain, who had dropped his sleeveless haori next to him. Her eyebrow raised a little as she glanced at the captain's wound. The wound started around the area of the neck and continued all the way below the navel. The wound didn't seem deep, but it had broken enough skin and blood vessels that it was bleeding profusely. Fetching a cleaning agent and a rag, the fifth seat wet the rag with the substance before beginning to dab at Kenpachi's wound.
To her surprise, the fifth seat heard a low growl and felt a fine spike of reiatsu in the air. It made the hairs behind her neck stand. Glaring at the captain again, she felt her mouth open to rebuke. Kenpachi's only visible eye was looking at her, a little amused, but also irritated. However, these facts were ignored by the fact that the captain's gaze exuded animalistic lust. Lust that the fifth seat had seen far too many times when she had been to different bars now and then. While in those bars such looks were the furthest from flattering, this look that Kenpachi was giving to her was almost flattering. Almost, but not enough. Turning her gaze back to the captain's wound, she pressed a little harder on the wound now, causing the man to grunt in pain. It almost made her smile again.
"Don't be a such baby," fifth snorted, finally starting the healing kidō.
"No need to be so rough," came the reply almost as soon as the fifth seat had begun healing. Now glaring at Kenpachi again, the blue eyes of the fifth seat seemed to be mocking Kenpachi's weakness. She could see how the captain's look twisted now to one of irritation before it morphed into a glare.
"Aren't you used to roughness in your division then, Captain?" fifth asked politely, but her tone made it clear that she was mocking the captain. To her pleasure, she saw how Kenpachi's only visible eye narrowed heavily. The man in front of her hunched slightly toward her, towering heavily on top of her.
"That's different," Kenpachi almost snapped, sneering at the fifth seat who snorted. A faint, amused smile started to play on the woman's lips as she lifted her gaze to Kenpachi. Despite this, she kept the healing kidō on as she looked into Kenpachi's only eye daringly.
"Really? And may I ask why?" The fifth seat asked as the captain snorted. She wouldn't back down, just because the man in front of her was bigger. "Because the Fourth Division is supposed to be gentle only because we're always patching your men up, right?"
"Don't start nagging, woman," the captain growled as the fifth seat finished her kidō.
"And don't you start that attitude with me, Zaraki-taichou," the fifth seat stated coolly, taking the needed bandages. She still held her gaze on the captain who held in back hers.
A silence settled between the duo as the fifth seat unwrapped the bandage from its package, making the only noise in the now quiet room. That's why they both could hear noises from outside the room. Conversations between nurses and patients, hurried footsteps of some nurses, and even someone dropping equipment on the floor which was accompanied by few strong words. Because of this, the silence between them felt even heavier and more pressing. The captain in front of the woman frowned deeply, his look of previous irritation turning into one of pondering. While the woman's look was still mostly professional there was a small hint of something that irked Kenpachi.
Snorting, the Eleventh division captain lowered a bit of the black shinigami uniform to make it easier for her to bandage his wound. Neatly and quickly, the woman bandaged the captain's wound and then took out her writing pad, on which she wrote something. Kenpachi was watching her all this time, his look going to places on the fifth seat where his gaze shouldn't have been.
"Zaraki-taichou, could you please stop? You may leave," the fifth seat stated, finally looking up from her writing pad, nodding at him. She could see the captain's gaze drift now back to her face, making her notice a small wrinkle between his brows. "Remember to be careful with your wound. Have a good day, Zaraki-taichou."
Without another word, the woman turned on her heels, leaving the captain behind. The work was done and so was their little dance with each other. She could finally return to the break room and rest a bit before she would need to make some rounds.
The fifth seat had only managed to walk a few meters before she could hear the Eleventh division lieutenant shrieking loudly, "Where's Ken-chan?"
Grimacing slightly at the child's loud voice, the fifth seat hurried towards the voice of lieutenant Kusajishi. Soon the woman noticed the child in the reception hall, glaring at the nurses who tried to hush her. Rubbing her temple now, the fifth seat was about to take a decisive step towards the lieutenant, when she almost fell on her face from the force of the powerful reiatsu. Glancing at the captain behind her, her eyes narrowed heavily. It was obvious Kenpachi had done that on purpose based on the slight grin on his lips and the amusement in his only eye. Yet there was also a glint of what seemed faintly like a curiosity toward her.
"Ken-chan!" the child's eager shout caused the fifth seat to snap back her look at the pink-haired child, who eagerly rushed over to Kenpachi. Smiling widely now, Captain Kenpachi greeted Yachiru, "Hello brat. Weren't you supposed to be with Yumichika?"
"Yes I was, but then I heard that Ken-chan had been hurt!" Yachiru explained, climbing onto Kenpachi's shoulder on her usual spot. The fifth seat watched the two silently, wondering how a man like Kenpachi could even put up with his loud lieutenant. But the way Kenpachi chuckled at Yachiru told the fifth seat everything.
Now turning her gaze away from the duo, she started walking towards the break room. She would still have a long day and night ahead of her. With luck, she would have time to hear more interesting things before she had to continue her work.
"Oi!" a rough and low voice made the woman stop on her heels. Now turning her head a little, she noticed that the two were still there. Captain Kenpachi was grinning at her, apparently frighteningly (though the fifth seat had seen even little children make scarier grins), while lieutenant Yachiru smiled happily.
"Thanks for helping Ken-chan!" Yachiru thanked her enthusiastically as the fifth seat smiled slightly. Despite the fact the little girl was loud and at times caused trouble in Fourth, she was still a cute kid. It balanced oddly with things that came to Captain Kenpachi.
"That's my job, Kusajishi-fukutaichou," The fifth seat stated, giving Kenpachi, who was still staring at her inappropriately, one last glare. Somehow, despite the fact there was seemingly mild curiosity toward her, the man managed to give her that look. Smacking the man or telling him again not to give her such a look would be useless. At least when she was on the clock. Now turning on her heels again, the fifth seat walked quietly into the break room, smiling to herself.
The pink-haired lieutenant glanced silently at the man on whose shoulder she was. A small, knowing smile crossed the child's face, which revealed that she noticed much more than she let on.
"Ken-chaaaan!" Yachiru's loud voice once again tested Kenpachi's eardrums, "Let's go already!"
Grunting, the Gotei 13 captain started to walk away from the Fourth but stopped after a while in front of one window. A grin that somehow resembled a smile crossed briefly on his scarred face. He watched as the curtains were quickly drawn in the break room, as the women inside complained about Kenpachi's rudeness and what a disgusting man he really was. But the quietest woman in the crowd, the fifth seat, just smiled a knowing smile.