A Shinigami Valentine

Akina, Nanao and Nemu walked swiftly through the Sereitei. As they hurried along, Nemu attempted to braid Akina's still wet, unruly red hair.

"Just leave it, Nemu." Akina hissed.

"But your hair is so lovely, Ito-san." she objected.

"Oh good heavens! I almost forgot." Nanao said suddenly.

"What?" Akina snapped impatiently. She was eager to get this meeting over with.

"Chizu's trying to blackball you out of the Women's Association. She came to see me first thing this morning and lodged a formal complaint. She couldn't find Yachiru so she came to me." Nanao explained.

"Yachiru was with Captain Hitsugaya." Akina said absently.

"What?" Nanao exclaimed.

"Never mind." Akina laughed. "It's not that big of a deal. If she wants me out, so be it."

"She came to me as well. From what I understand, she went to all the members of the Women's Association. She has Captain Soifon behind her as well." Nemu said quietly as they paused near the large white doors of Division 1 main hall.

"Well, there's nothing to be done about it. I'm not going to lie. I cheated. I had my reasons and I made my choice." Akina snapped.

"The only person who can decide to remove you is Lt. Kusajishi." Nemu noted.

"She's right! I know the by-laws like the back of my hand. Yachiru is the only one who can make that decision. You just need to talk to her before Chizu does." Nanao said excitedly. Akina smiled. They didn't want her to be kicked out of the Shinigami Women's Association. It felt good to be wanted.

"I'll talk to her." Akina said softly. Movement in the distance caught her eye. A tall figure moved slowly towards them, obviously bound for the same destination as them. Akina stared, recognizing the leisurely strut and billowing captain's coat. It was Zaraki. The sudden skip of her heart at the mere sight of him startled her. He held her eyes as he and Yachiru strolled up. She saw that he had fixed his hair and replaced his eye patch.

"Ladies." he said with a nod of his head as he grew closer.

"Captain Zaraki." Nemu murmured, glancing over at Akina. She smiled up at him, happy to see him.

"Did Yachiru get any sleep?" Akina asked, glancing at the child perched on his shoulder. Yachiru's eyes were open but she was leaning heavily against Zaraki's head.

"A little." he replied with a shrug. "Are you three on your way to the big meeting?"

"Yes, unfortunately." Nanao said dryly. Zaraki grinned.

"This is all your doing. You girls wanted a memorable Valentine's Day." he chuckled.

"Was your Valentine's Day memorable, Captain?" Nanao countered. Zaraki's eyes moved to Akina.

"Yeah, it wasn't too bad. We better get in there." he added, turning away from them. Ikkaku emerged from the behind one of the doors.

"Oh good, Captain. I was coming to look for you. Things are starting to get pretty ugly in there." Ikkaku laughed. Akina could feel Nemu stiffen slightly at the sight of the man. Ikkaku glanced over at the women. His gaze settled on Akina.

"Good thing you're here, too. Seems like you're the guest of honor for this thing." he teased her.

"Great." Akina murmured, sighing. Her eyes kept wandering back to Zaraki. He seemed to be ignoring her or at least it felt that way to her.

"Let's go." Zaraki snapped, moving towards the door. Ikkaku turned to follow him but Akina caught his arm, holding him back slightly as the other two women entered the tall building.

"Ikkaku," she whispered. "Could you do me a favor and stick close to Nemu? I figure Captain Kurotsuchi's going to be on the warpath and you know how violent he can be. I don't want him venting any of that anger on her...do you mind? I'm kinda worried about her."

"Sure!" Ikkaku assured her with an easy smile. "The way he treats her bugs the shit outta me anyway. He treats her like she's not even a person. It ain't right."

"Thank you. I really appreciate it!" Akina said, smiling brightly. When she looked up, Zaraki remained by the open door staring at them hard. She smiled at him, hurrying over.

"Sorry." she murmured.

"What was that about?" he growled, following her in.

"Just trying to help a friend." she replied vaguely. He didn't look satisfied with her answer but didn't have an opportunity to press further. As they stepped into the great hall, they were confronted with a huge group of shinigami. All staring at them.

At the center of the room sat Commander Yamamoto. He looked out over the gathered crowd with a deeply etched frown on his wrinkled face. His dark, burning gaze settled on Akina as she, Zaraki and Yachiru walked into the room. The crowd seemed to be somewhat divided. On one side of the room stood Chizu, Soifon, her lieutenant and others who appeared angry and unhappy. On the opposite side, the people seemed calmer, milling nervously around. Nanao and Nemu stood on this side. Akina made her way towards them with Zaraki following close behind her. She noticed Ikkaku walk past her to stand beside Nemu as Captain Kurotsuchi stepped forward.

"Ito-san, it is most unfortunate that things have come to this." he said slickly, stepping far closer to Akina than she would have liked. She felt herself forced forward, away from Kurotsuchi as Zaraki stepped up into her place. He glared at Kurotsuchi, placing a possessive hand at Akina's waist.

"If there weren't a bunch of whiny-ass losers 'round here, we wouldn't be here to start with." he snapped. "Bitching 'cause a damn computer program set 'em up with the wrong person. If they didn't like who they were with, they shoulda just left."

"Captain Zaraki, some of us have more manners than you apparently." Kurotsuchi sneered. Zaraki raised an eyebrow at the comment.

"You call it manners to threaten to turn your date into a lab rat if she doesn't shut the hell up?" Zaraki asked. Kurotsuchi faltered, surprised by his words. Zaraki grinned dangerously.

"Yeah, she's got a big mouth." Zarkai chuckled. He moved past Kurotsuchi, guiding Akina along with him. She leaned closer to him as they moved. She couldn't resist. Being this close to him made her long to touch him. No matter how inappropriate it might be. She felt his hand move into her hair, pulling the loose braid free.

"I like it better down." he commented when she looked up at him questioningly. Akina smiled and sighed. She felt his arm tighten as they came to a stop near Nemu, Ikkaku, Yumichika and Nanao. Captain Komamura and Lt. Iba walked up.

"Captain Zaraki." he acknowledged the other man with a nod of his head.

"Sajin, how was your Valentine's Day?" Zaraki asked with a grin.

"I had a lovely evening. Thank you for asking. It is my understanding that you and Akina faired well together also." Komamura noted quietly. Zaraki looked down at her sharply then back at the other man.

"It was alright." he replied with a shrug then added, "She sucks at poker. You oughta teach your officers better."

"Poker? I happen to be quite skilled at the game. Perhaps we should make a wager or two one day?" Komamura commented. Zaraki's grin sharpened to a razor's edge.

"Anytime! I'll bring the sake. You bring a sack for me to carry my winnings home in." he said easily.

Commander Yamamoto rose to his feet, slamming his staff once on the floor. The resounding thud echoed through the room, bringing a quick end to all conversations.

"Alright...we are here to discuss the allegations that tampering occurred with the Shinigami Women's Association Valentine's Day Dinner Date." Yamamoto paused to take a deep breath before continuing.

"I apologize in advance, but I had a miserable evening followed by only a few hours of sleep due to multiple interruptions regarding the evening's festivities. First off, I'd like to address the allegations that Akina Ito, of Division 7, altered the results of the computer matches. Ito-san, if you would step forward..."

"Yes, sir." she said, moving to stand directly in front of the bearded man.

"Do you have anything to say, Ito-san?" he asked her sharply.

"I cheated, Commander Yamamoto." she admitted. A roar went up in the room.

"You're the reason that I was stuck with that awful Shuuhei Hisagi." Soifon roared.

"Unlucky Shuuhei Hisagi is more like it." chuckled Captain Kyoraku. "He still hasn't been released from the hospital yet, has he, Soifon?"

"Quiet!" Yamamoto yelled, frowning deeply. "Why did you stoop so low, Ito-san? This is out of character for you."

"I wanted to get to know Captain Zaraki, sir. I...I wanted to spend the evening with him." she said softly. She glanced at Nemu. She didn't need to embarrass Captain Kurotsuchi in front of everyone.

"I understand, Ito-san. Did it never occur to you to simply approach Captain Zaraki and express your interest directly?" the old man growled. Akina opened her mouth to reply but had none. She felt her cheeks flush hotly.

"Well?" he snapped, leaning forward.

"I...I didn't have the nerve, sir." she whispered, dropping her eyes. "I was afraid that he'd...I didn't think he'd be interested in me, sir."

"I see." Yamamoto said quietly, leaning back in his large chair. He pressed his fingers together thoughtfully as he stared at Akina.

"Ito-san, are you aware that you are not alone in these improprieties?"

"What do you mean?" she asked warily.

"It has come to my attention, that numerous attempts were made to control the outcome of final pairings."

"Oh?" she replied innocently. His dark eyes narrowed. She knew that he could tell she was lying but she wasn't dragging anyone else down with her, as tempting as it was to include Captain Kurotsuchi.

"Yes, based on information I've gathered from several sources, quite a number of you are equally guilty." he said, addressing the crowd rather than her. A rippled murmured shot through the group of people. Yamamoto shook his head resignedly.

"I am very disappointed. As shinigami, I expect more from each of you. Especially my captains!" he added, looking directly at Captain Kurotsuchi.

"Now, I am going to give you each an opportunity to be as forthcoming as Ito-san. I want all of those who tampered with the final results, in any way, to step forward." he declared loudly. A thick tension fell over the room as people looked anxiously from one to the other but no one moved.

"I'm waiting!" he roared, causing people to jump. With her head down, Nemu Kurotsuchi stepped forward. She was followed immediately by Nanao Ise. Slowly but surely, others joined Akina at the center of the room. In amazement, she watched Renji Abarai and Yumichika Ayasegawa walk up. Yachiru jumped from Zaraki's shoulder and joined Yumichika with a smile. Tetsuzaemon Iba grunted unhappily but moved forward. Akina shot him a dark look which caused him to squirm uncomfortably. Sentaro Kotsubaki and Kiyone Kotetsu moved up, nearly colliding with each other. They paused to stare at the other in shocked surprise. Hatsu Morita walked to the center of the room, smiling at Renji. Her cheeks were red with embarrassment. Izuru Kira sighed then slunk to the front of the room. He kept his eyes on the floor. He was followed by Isane Kotetsu. She half-hid her face behind her hand nervously, glancing back at her captain apologetically. With a loud groan, Marechiyo Omaeda marched forward. Akina noticed that his big head was bandaged.

"Is that all?" Yamamoto growled, his gaze falling on Kurotsuchi. Sniffing distastefully, Captain Kurotsuchi inched forward. Yamamoto sighed deeply.

"Wait a minute." Renji called out. "You're supposed to be over here too, Chizu. I saw you changing your questionnaire after you picked up the Captain's. Get your ass over here with the rest of us."

Chizu blanched. Her eyes widened in panic as everyone turned to stare at her.

"Is this true, Abe-san?" Captain Kuchiki asked quietly.

"I...uhm...I was..."

"Just get over here!" Renji snapped impatiently. A grin spread across Akina's face as Chizu hung her head down in shame and walked over to stand next to Renji. She glanced back at Zaraki. He was grinning broadly. He winked at her as their eyes met. A sense of relief flooded through her. It was all worth it, she realized suddenly. Meeting him, knowing him, beginning to care for him, it was worth all this for that opportunity.

"Thank you. I believe that is all. I can not begin to express my disappointment in you all but I suppose it was to be expected. It's unrealistic to punish all of you," he said sharply, looking at each of them in turn. "But I believe it is only fair to ask each of you to explain the reasoning behind your actions. Ito-san has already shared her motivation. I expect each of you to do the same. Captain Kurotsuchi, if you would be so kind..."

"Hmph!" Kurotsuchi snorted, visibly uncomfortable being put on the spot. "I merely hoped to become better acquainted with Akina Ito. She has a fascinating ability to visualize reiatsu. I thought it would be an excellent opportunity to discuss it further with her."

"Is that so?" Yamamoto chuckled. "I've never heard it put that way. Abarai...please continue."

"Yes, sir. I didn't mean to cause a problem. I overheard Captain Kuchiki and Captain Unohana saying they hoped they could have a quiet evening with someone they were comfortable with, without any romance, you know? So I rearranged some of their answers so they could be together. No big deal." Renji snapped. Yamamoto's expression darkened.

"You're the one who changed Retsu's answers then?" he hissed sharply. Renji drew back slightly. Yamamoto's words seemed much fiercer than necessary.

"Sorry, sir." Renji blurted out. Yamamoto leaned back with a grunt. Akina watched as his gaze drifted over to Captain Unohana. She smiled patiently at the older man and shrugged.

"Fine!" Yamamoto growled. "Someone else...Lt. Iba, I'm surprised to find you standing up here."

"Sorry, Commander." Iba said quietly. "I...shit!" he faltered. Soft laughter echoed through the hall. He looked up apologetically before continuing,

"I wanted to go out with Isane. I figured she wouldn't go if I asked her so I tried to arrange for her to end up with me."

"You did?" Isane cried out in surprise. Pink color crept across Tetsuzemon's cheeks. He couldn't seem to stand still. Suddenly, he elbowed Yumichika as he growled,

"You tell 'em why you did it, Ayasegawa."

"Certainly," Yumichika replied easily. He smiled at Commander Yamamoto then threw his hands in the air as he explained brightly,

"I really wasn't interested in spending the evening with a woman that couldn't begin to match my beauty but it was a free meal. So, I changed a few things around in order to dine with Ikkaku. It's been awhile since we went out...just the two of us."

"I see..." Yamamoto said, considering the man with a puzzled expression. He glanced down at Yachiru and asked,

"Lt. Kusajishi, why are you standing up here?"

"I helped Yumichika out." Yachiru said proudly. "I was his lookout and his de-sig-na-ted distraction!"

Akina laughed, covering her mouth with her hand to try and hide it. Yachiru grinned up at her.

"She's very good at it." Yumichika assured them all. Yachiru beamed brightly.

"I can imagine." Yamamoto agreed with a smile. He looked over at Hatsu Morita, a perky looking brunette that was barely a head taller than Yachiru. The girl was staring at Renji with wide, adoring eyes. Yamamoto grimaced as he asked,

"Morita-san, you tampered with the results as well?"

"Oh yeah." she said, tearing her eyes away from Renji briefly. "I was trying to get a date with Renji. He's so cute." The tattooed shinigami shuddered, turning his back on the girl.

"Yes, you mentioned that several times yesterday." Commander Yamamoto snapped. "Lt. Kira, why are you standing up here? I would think you of all of people would know how destructive deception can be."

"Yes, Commander Yamamoto, I am well aware of the cost of lies." Izuru Kira said softly, his expression forlorn. "But there is only one person in the Sereitei who understands this as well as I. I...hoped to be matched to Lt. Matsumoto, sir."

"Oh, Izuru..." Rangiku Matsumoto gasped loudly. She rushed forward to hug the dejected looking blonde man. She pressed her large breasts flat against him, whispering something in his ear that brought a smile to his sad face. Akina smiled faintly. Maybe some good would come of all this after all, she thought.

"Yes...well...moving on." Yamamoto said softly, clearing his throat.

"Isane Kotetsu," he said quietly. "You, too, felt compelled to cheat?"

"Oh...Commander Yamamoto, I...just...thought...I mean...I...wanted..." she spoke so softly that Akina could barely hear her.

"Speak up, girl!" Zaraki growled. Isane jumped slightly, blushing brightly.

"I wanted to spend the evening with...Captain Ukitake, sir." she said, her voice slightly louder. Surprised, Akina turned to look at the usually calm visage of Captain Jushiro Ukitake. She expected to find a surprised expression. Instead, she found the man smiling warmly.

"You need only ask, Isane." he spoke softly to the woman. Isane's cheeks turned an impossible red as she nodded her head quickly. Irresistibly, Akina looked back to Zaraki. She found that he was watching her. Their eyes met. The pull of desire that washed over her made her skin tingle with excitement. It took all of her self-restraint to keep from walking over and kissing him passionately.

"Well, this is turning out to be quite interesting." Yamamoto chuckled, breaking the spell between Akina and Zaraki. He looked away first. She closed her eyes, fighting the rush of emotion spilling wildly over her. Was this just lust, she wondered, or something more?

"Lt. Kurotsuchi, were you in cahoots with your father?" Yamamoto asked Nemu sharply. She looked down shyly as she quietly said,

"No, sir."

"Then why?" he snapped.

"I wished to spend the evening...with Madarame-san, sir." she said softly.

"Really?" Yumichika exclaimed. He smiled broadly. Both he and Akina, as well as several others, looked over at Ikkaku. He had turned beet red. Zaraki elbowed him with a wicked grin as he said something to the bald man that Akina couldn't hear. But the words caused Ikkaku to blush even brighter. Nemu stared at the floor, clutching her hands tightly together. Without thinking, Akina reached out and took one of her hands in hers. Nemu looked up. Tears glistened in her dark eyes. Akina squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"I wanted to dine with my captain." Nanao announced loudly, shifting the attention away from Nemu and onto her. A murmur of surprise shot through the room. Captain Kyoraku was frozen, his gaze fixated on Nanao. Everyone seemed to waiting for his response. Akina expected it to be an enthusiastic one. She was surprised when he walked forward slowly to take Nanao's hand in his.

"My dear, sweet Nanao-chan..." he murmured, pressing her hand to his lips. Nanao's hand trembled as he held her eyes. Akina could see tears slipping down her cheeks.

"Please excuse us, Yama-jii. I must speak with my Nanao-chan in private." he said to Commander Yamamoto as he slipped his other arm around Nanao's waist and led her from the room.

"Of course, Captain Kyoraku." Yamamoto agreed quietly, his expression wistful. A collective sigh filled the room as the door closed behind them.

"Yes...where were we?" Yamamoto said absently. "Oh yes, who else...."

"Commander, if I may speak?" Kiyone Kotetsu said softly.

"Yes, of course, Kotetsu-san."

"I tried to rig the results so that I could go out with Sentaro Kotsubaki. There! I said it." she announced happily. Sentaro stared at her in shock.

"But I tried to set it up so that I would be matched with you, Kiyone." he argued. Her eyes widened.

"No way!" she cried out. "It was my idea."

"No, it was my idea first." he argued.

"No, it was mine. I got to the questionnaires as soon as you were finished." she challenged him.

"I waited until they were ready to be returned to Lt. Ise. I was smarter." he fired back.

"But you messed it all up, you idiot." she shouted.

"Don't call me an idiot, you dumbass!" he yelled back.

"Enough!" shouted Commander Yamamoto, rubbing his forehead wearily. "Let us move on...Lt. Omaeda, why did you try to change the results?"

"Oh...me? I just wanted to end up with somebody worthy of me. I thought Lt. Nemu Kurotsuchi would look good on my arm." the big man snapped. Nemu's head jerked up. Akina recognized the repulsion she saw on her face. She felt the same way towards her father.

"Too damn bad, asshole!" Ikkaku called out. "Keep your filthy paws off her."

"Don't tell me what to do, Madarame." Omaeda growled. "You Division 11 thugs aren't worth my time."

"You're gonna be visiting the hospital again if you keep talking trash, Omaeda." Ikkaku warned him.

"Gentlemen!" Yamamoto called out, visibly tiring of the entire process. "Could you wait until after the meeting to come to blows? Thank you. Now, is there anyone who hasn't spoken up?"

"We haven't heard from Chizu yet." Akina said quietly, prompting a dark look from her former friend.

"Come on, Chizu. Don't you want to tell everyone how you were hoping to go out with Captain Kuchiki?" Akina continued coldly. Byakuya Kuchiki had appeared bored with the proceedings. He was suddenly alert.

"Shut up!" Chizu shouted.

"Come on! You didn't have any trouble announcing it to the whole fuckin' world last night." Zaraki growled.


"Abe-san, is this true?" Commander Yamamoto asked. Chizu looked up at him, tears in her eyes.

"Is it so wrong?" she cried out.

"The only thing wrong is how you went about it, Abe-san. But there is something more that troubles me about all this. You are the reason we are all here. You roused me from a sound sleep last night with your wild accusations. Now, I discover that you are as guilty as Ito-san. While as I have stated before...I should have expected this. You are each strong willed individuals with an innate desire to meddle with destiny. What I didn't expect was for one of you to incite a near riot over a simple holiday celebration. It's unacceptable behavior for one of my shinigami to stoop so low...to spread such distrust among the Sereitei. I am very disappointed, Abe-san." he added with a deep sigh. A long silence followed then he quietly concluded,

"I hope that we have all learned from this. One last thing, I hope that the Women's Association will have better luck with the White Day festivities next month. I am looking forward to a much better time than I had last night."

White Day, thought Akina wildly. Was he serious? She glanced over at Nemu, who smiled.

"Don't worry, Ito-san. It will go much better than Valentine's Day." she whispered.

Commander Yamamoto stood, stretching slightly. The group shifted, preparing to leave.

"Those of you who tampered with the results will be responsible for assisting the Woman's Association in any way they see fit regarding the celebration of White Day. Anyone who does not cooperate fully will be punished severely. That is all for now. You may go." he said, waving his hand as he turned his back on the group.
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A/N: Thank you Mary and OrionShadow. This chapter's dedicated to the two of you! I really appreciate your reviews. You guys ROCK!