A Shinigami Valentine

Yachiru and Akina walked slowly back from the bathhouse. The sun had dropped below the horizon. The constant activity of the Sereitei had slowed to crawl and quiet settled over the sprawling, walled city.

"Aka-chan, I wanna have big boobies like you when I grow up." Yachiru announced as they walked. Akina looked down at her breasts. They were hardly what anyone would call big. But they looked okay to her.

"My breasts aren't that big, squirt." she laughed as they neared Zaraki's quarters.

"Uh huh!" Yachiru insisted. "You got big boobies."

"Nah, they're not big. They're actually kinda small compared to a lot of girls around the Sereitei." Akina noted. Yachiru looked down at her own flat chest.

"They're bigger than mine." she said as they walked into the house. The smell of food greeted them. Akina's stomach growled in response.

"I personally think it's better to have smaller breasts." Akina continued as they walked into the large room. Zaraki, Yumichika and Ikkaku looked up from the table. Judging by the expressions on their faces, they had obviously heard her comment.

"Really? How come?" Yachiru asked, climbing into a chair opposite Ikkaku.

"Well, they don't get in the way when you're fighting. Your back doesn't hurt from carrying them around all day. And they don't get all droopy when you start getting older!" Akina explained, sliding into the empty chair between Zaraki and Yachiru.

"Boobies get droopy?" Yachiru asked, making a face. Akina grinned, eying the food hungrily.

"What the hell are you teaching her?" Zaraki snapped.

"It's the truth. Big breasts really do get droopy." she explained, reaching for the rice.

"Yeah, it's true." Ikkaku agreed knowingly, between mouthfuls. Yachiru thrust her flat chest forward proudly.

"Mine won't ever droop!" she announced. Zaraki rolled his eyes.

"And I thought you'd be a good influence on her." he complained, shaking his head. Akina smiled.

"Compared to you guys...I am." she said easily. "Yachiru, would you like some fish?"

"Yes, please." she replied sweetly. Akina looked over at Zaraki proudly.

"How come you never say please when I ask you something?" he asked her curiously. Yachiru shrugged.

"I don't know." she said, shoveling rice into her mouth. Zaraki grinned. Akina noticed that he had bathed and changed clothes as well. He was dressed in a brown hakama with a matching kimono hanging open over his muscular chest. His black hair hung loose around his shoulders. His eye patch was gone. He looked different. Less fierce and more human. She liked it.

"What the hell you staring at?" he growled, catching her eye. She smiled, reaching out to touch his hair.

"I've never seen you with your hair down. I like it." she admitted softly. A crooked grin inched it's way across his face. Akina felt the now familiar rush of desire for him. This time the delicious warmth was accompanied by a strange tightening. A yearning for him that seemed stronger than the desire. Unable to stop herself, she leaned over to kiss him softly. The kiss only seemed to make the ache worse. Zaraki lifted his head, glancing up at Yumichika and Ikkaku. Akina looked around. They suddenly seemed very interested in their food, their eyes down. She smiled. It all felt so good, so comfortable. She had never been so at ease with anyone like this before.

"Ikkaku, what's going on between you and Nemu?" Zaraki asked, his hand reaching out to cover Akina's. Ikkaku looked up.

"Nothing." he said quickly. A little too quickly, Akina thought.

"She said you were going for a picnic tomorrow?" Akina asked. He nodded, keeping his eyes down.

"She's never been on one before. It's supposed to be warm tomorrow. The cherry blossoms are blooming so I thought..." he started then stopped. Yumichika smiled happily.

"She's such a beautiful woman." he sighed happily.

"Yeah, she is." Ikkaku agreed.

"You be careful. I get the feeling her Daddy ain't gonna like nobody messin' around with her. He's a dangerous man, Ikkaku. Make sure she's worth it before you get in over your head." Zaraki warned him.

"Yes, sir." Ikkaku said softly. Akina chewed her lip, feeling bad for him.

"For what it's worth, Nemu is crazy about you." she said softly. He looked up in surprise, his wide eyes meeting hers.

"She is? Really?" he asked urgently. Akina nodded, smiling softly.

"Don't encourage him." Zaraki snapped.

"Why not?" she countered.

"'Cause Kurotsuchi is a crazy son of a bitch. You don't wanna mess with what's his." he growled, eying Ikkaku closely. Akina could see that his words had reached the younger man.

"Nemu deserves a chance in spite her father...maybe because of her father." Akina snapped. "There aren't many men around the Sereitei that could stand up to him if necessary. Ikkaku could...and I believe he would if he cared for her. And she likes him. Come on! Don't be like this."

"Akina, you don't know shit about life." he snapped, standing and walking out of the house. She stared at the door to the back yard that he had disappeared through.

"Let it go, Akina. He's trying to protect me." Ikkaku spoke quietly.

"But..." she started.

"Let it go." he said firmly, standing and following Zaraki out the back door.

"It's a lovely thought but sometimes...things don't work out." Yumichika said softly. He too stood and followed the other two men. Akina watched them sadly.

"Aka-chan, will you read me a story?" Yachiru asked softly. She was sitting with her head on the table watching Akina. Her large eyes drooped sleepily.

"Sure, squirt. Come on." Akina said, standing. She climbed into bed with Yachiru and read her a fairy tale about a princess and a pea. Yachiru was asleep by the second mattress. Akina carefully detangled herself from the sleeping child and walked over to the back door. She could hear Ikkaku laughing,

"It's been great, sir. Yachiru hasn't bugged me even once today. If Akina stays around for a few days, I think my head might actually get a chance to heal. It's a shame she's not in our Division. Man, that would be great."

"Yeah, it would." Zaraki agreed quietly. Akina stepped through the door.

"Aren't you guys cold out here?" she asked, the cool spring air cutting through her thin robe.

"Feels good." Zaraki said simply.

"Where's Yachiru?" he asked.

"Sleeping." Akina explained, wrapping her arms tightly around her. Yumichika and Ikkaku stood, as if on cue.

"We'll see you tomorrow, Captain. Good night, Akina." they said in unison. She watched as they walked away.

"Goodnight!" she called out. She turned back to Zaraki, who was sprawled out on the top step of the porch.

"Why did they run off like that?" she asked, sitting down beside him. He reached over, slipping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close.

"They're giving us some privacy." he explained, staring up at the night sky.

"Oh, they didn't need to do that." she snapped. He grinned, looking over at her.

"I'm glad they did. I like it when it's just the two of us. We fight less."

"We don't fight that much." she argued. His grin widened.

"Look, I wanna talk to you about somethin' that's been bugging me." he said, watching the crescent moon high above them.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I been thinkin' about this all day and I ain't thinkin' about it no more! I mean it. I've made my peace with this, Akina." he growled.

"What are you talking about?" she asked. "Is this why you were so pissy to me this morning?"

"Sorry about that, sugar. I didn't like the way you made me feel. It was fuckin' confusing. I don't like feeling that way. And it really pissed me off seeing you with Ikkaku..."

"I was just talking to him about Nemu." she objected.

"Yeah, I figured that after the meeting but when I saw you two together...I wanted to kill him. I ain't ever felt that way about him before. I tried to just shut it down...not care about you...but that didn't work either." he admitted.

"I don't understand." she said softly.

"It's hard to think straight around you. And when I'm away from you, I can't stop thinking about you. I've been thinkin' too damn much since I met you, Akina. I don't like it. But I've made my mind up. This is the way it's gonna be. You're mine...my woman. And I ain't sharin'. I can't stand the thought of somebody else puttin' his hands on you. Like I said, I wanted to kill Ikkaku this morning."

"Kenpachi, you..." she started. He cut her off sharply,

"I don't wanna talk about it. I've made up my mind. You're mine."

"Stop it!" she cried out, pulling away from him to sit up. "What about what I want?"

"You don't want me?" he asked curiously, looking over at her.

"I didn't say that. It's just...it's too soon." she snapped. She'd been in this position before. A man had told her that he loved her. He had lied to her face, to her heart. She had been too young, too innocent and too ignorant to recognize it then. She had rushed headlong into a tumultuous relationship only to have it explode in her face, leaving her heartbroken and scarred. She was wary of men now. Love was hard. It was complicated and painful. Sex was simple. She preferred simple.

"Kenpachi, it's just the rush of something new." she offered.

"Bullshit." he growled, disregarding her opinion.

"It's not bullshit." she snapped. "In the beginning, every thing's new and exciting. And the sex is amazing. I know when I get close to you...I get all fuzzy-headed. I just want to touch you...to feel you. But it's just the sex..." she continued.

"You listen to me, girl. I ain't scared of shit but you...you scare the hell outta me. The way you make me feel. I ain't never felt nothing like it. No...you're mine. End of story." he said quietly.

"No." she whispered, fear in the pit of her stomach. "It's too soon. I'm not making you any promises."

A teasing grin inched across his chiseled face. He reached out, tilting her face up to his.

"You know you can't resist me, sugar."

Akina smiled in spite of herself, shaking her head.

"I'm not trying to resist you. I'm just not willing to make any commitments to you. I want my freedom, Kenpachi. I've been burned before. I don't want to go through that again. You shouldn't be pushing me." she said with a sigh. His grin remained, unfazed by her words.

"You belong to me, sugar. And I'll kill any man who lays hands on you." he said quietly. Akina jumped to her feet, staring at him in surprise.

"What?" she snapped. He raised his hands in the air.

"Whaddya want me to say? I don't like to share, Akina."

"I'm telling you that I'm not yours." she snapped.

"Then what are we doing here?" he growled, his expression suddenly grim.

"We're...we're getting to know each other. We're having fun. Don't complicate things." she argued.

"You want another man, Akina?" he asked sharply, standing as well. She didn't. She couldn't imagine any man that could compare to him but it was too damn soon. Rushing ahead like this only led to pain.

"No, I don't but..."

"But what sugar?" he whispered, reaching out for her. "You want me. I want you. That's all that matters. You don't wanna be mine? Okay, how about I go find me another woman? What do you think about that?"

"What are you talking about now?" she snapped. His grin sharpened.

"You ain't mine...then I ain't yours, sugar. I get bored...restless...there's a lot of other ladies out there. Maybe I'll go find me one." he said softly.

"Fuck you!" she exploded, pushing him away violently. "Don't threaten me, Kenpachi. You aren't happy with me? Then go find somebody else. This is exactly what I'm talking about. You think..."

"Akina!" he snapped sharply, grabbing her by the arm. "I don't want anybody else. I was trying to make a point."

"Bad idea." she snapped, glaring at him. "I think I should go."

He stepped back, running his hands through his hair.

"If that's what you want..." he said quietly, releasing her arm and making no attempt to stop her. She hesitated, turning her back to him. She didn't really want to go. She wanted to be with him. This was her last night with him for two weeks. She wanted to curl up next to him and sleep in the comfort of his arms but she didn't know what to do. She didn't want to give him the impression that he'd won. She wasn't letting him bend her to his way. He remained silent, a faint tension in the air as if he were waiting to see what she would do. She didn't want to lose him. Not now...not like this.

"Yachiru's going to be pissed when she wakes up and you're not here." he said softly.

"You think?" she asked softly, turning towards him.

"She's gotten really attached to you...really fast." he whispered, holding her eyes. His gase was dark and unreadable; his words carrying hidden meaning.

"I really like her too." Akina admitted, smiling faintly. "She's a sweetie."

"You gonna stay...or go?" he asked sharply. She sighed, giving into the longing that seem to sit on her chest like a cold stone.

"I'll stay..." she whispered, stepping closer to him. He folded his arms around her, drawing her close. He kissed her tenderly. Akina slipped her arms around him, wanting him as close as possible, needing to feel every inch of him.

"But no promises." she growled, looking up at him darkly. He smiled.

"I can wait. You'll come around." he whispered, stroking her back.

"Can you?" she asked softly. He nodded.

"I made my mind up, sugar."

"Good. Because I have to leave for two weeks...starting tomorrow." she said, stepping away from him again, anticipating a violent reaction. He held onto her hands, not letting her go too far.

"What?" he asked quietly, a steely edge to his voice.

"I'm leaving on patrol tomorrow." she whispered, waiting for the backlash. She could see his jaw tighten and his body stiffen but his voice remained calm as he asked,

"Since when? How long you known about this?"

"Since this morning. Captain Komamura assigned me to a patrol of the Rukongai. It's punishment for the Valentine's thing. I'm sorry that I didn't mention it sooner. I meant to...I...we always end up doing other things. We...don't really talk a lot."

"Two weeks?" he asked carefully. She could feel the tension reaching his hands as his grip tightened.

"Yeah, two weeks. We're patrolling East to West Rukongai Districts 1-40. It's gonna take awhile." she said softly.

"No." he said firmly, dropping her hands and turning his back to her.

"Pardon?" she questioned, unsure what he meant.

"I ain't having this. You're staying here. I'm going tell Komamura you ain't going nowhere." he snapped, his back rigid.

"No, you can't do that." she insisted, circling around so that she was standing in front of him.

"Kenpachi, listen to me. This is a direct order from my captain. You can't interfere." she tried to reason with him.

"The hell I can't." he shouted angrily. Akina sighed in frustration.

"You can't. I won't let you. It's just wrong. It would be like me interfering with a direct order you gave to Ikkaku or Yumichika. It wouldn't be my place. And it's not yours. He's my captain, Kenpachi. I have to do what he says." she spoke softly. He stared at her. She could see the understanding in his eyes but not the acceptance. He looked pissed.

"Dammit!" he growled, "Two fuckin' weeks, Akina?" he snapped, meeting her gaze. She nodded sadly.

"I know. It's gonna be hard. But we can..."

"Hard?" he snapped, interrupting her. "I can barely go an hour without wanting to fuck you. Do you have any idea what it's gonna be like going for two weeks?"

"There's nothing I can do. It's my assignment...my duty. I don't have a choice." she huffed, crossing her arms in front of her. He was acting like she had volunteered to go. She didn't want to. She wanted to stay here...with him and Yachiru.

Akina looked out over the large yard. She liked it here. She felt comfortable here. Being with Kenpachi and Yachiru, even Ikkaku and Yumichika, felt like being home. She didn't want to leave. She just got here.

"Two fucking weeks." he said, in a calmer tone. She nodded.

"Fourteen days...three hundred and thirty six hours...twenty thousand one..." she whispered. The numbers had been going through her mind all day.

"Don't." he snapped. "Just makes it sound longer."

"Sorry..." she whispered. She heard him snort in frustration then walk over and enfold her in his arms.

"Two weeks...we can handle that." he said softly, pressing his lips against her hair.

"Right." she agreed unconvincingly.

"You gotta promise me, though, sugar..." he growled, tightening his hold on her.

"I told you...I'm not making any promises, Kenpachi." she complained, trying to break free but he held her tight.

"You gotta promise me...I gotta know there ain't gonna be anyone else while you're gone, Akina." he growled.

"Why don't you try trusting me?" she yelled, jerking out of his arms.

"Why don't you pull the stick outta your ass and give me a fucking break?" he snapped. She glared at him, arms tightly crossed.

"I'm not making you a promise that doesn't need to be said. You should trust me. You should know me well enough to know that I wouldn't do that." she insisted. He rolled his eyes.

"I don't know shit about you!" he shouted.

"Who's fault is that? It's only been two days and we haven't spent a lot of time talking. Two days!" she yelled back. "I shouldn't have to promise you anything after only two days."

"There's only one reason you'd refuse to promise me that you'd stay faithful." he roared.

"Are you two fighting?" Yachiru asked softly, from behind them. She was standing in the doorway. They both froze, staring at her in surprise.

"Go back to bed, Yachiru." Zaraki ordered her.

"Ken-chan, don't fight with Aka-chan. You'll chase her away." Yachiru scolded him.

"It's too damn late. She's going away anyway." he snapped. Yachiru's eyes filled with tears. She rushed over to Akina.

"No! Don't leave us!" she cried out, throwing her arms around Akina's waist.

"It's okay, Yachiru. I'm not leaving for good." she reassured her, hugging her. She looked over at Kenpachi. He was watching them with a dark expression. He was angry with her. She didn't want to fight with him. She cared too much for him to see him so upset. She loved him too much. The thought had risen unbidden from the depths of her heart to engulf her in a rush of emotions. No, she tried desperately to reason it away. That was wrong. She didn't love him. She didn't even know him. You couldn't love someone you'd known for barely a day. No, she struggled with her heart, squeezing Yachiru tightly. He just wanted his way. He wanted her to do and say what he wanted.

"No! Please, Aka-chan! Don't go." Yachiru cried, tears running down her cheeks. Zaraki walked over, squatting down beside her.

"Whatcha cryin' about, brat? Settle down." he scolded her gently as he rubbed her back.

"It's only for two weeks, Yachiru. I'm just going out on patrol. I'm sorry, squirt. But I'll be back. And we'll play more then. Hey, how about if I bring back something?" Akina said, stroking Yachiru's soft, pink hair. Sniffling, she raised her head.

"Like what?" she pouted. Akina grinned.

"Anything you want." she offered.

"I want a pretty dress like you wore to dinner yesterday." Yachiru sniffled, holding onto her tightly.

"A dress? I bet I could find you one. What color do you want?" she asked. She heard Zaraki snort in irritation. He was still pissed, she thought. She wouldn't be able to placate him with something as simple as a present.

"Pink...I like pink." Yachiru agreed begrudgingly.

"Okay, pink it is. I'll do my best." she assured her softly. Akina looked over Yachiru's shoulder, meeting Zaraki's gaze. She saw frustration and anger in his eyes but something else there called to her. A vulnerability that seemed out of place in the fearsome man.

"Kenpachi..." she whispered. He straightened up, looking away.

"It's only two damn weeks." he growled in a low voice. "It ain't the end of the fuckin' world. Come on, Yachiru. Let's get you back in bed."

Akina watched him pick her up and carry her back into the house. She stood alone on the porch, unsure what to do. She should probably leave. That would be the sensible thing to do. She closed her eyes, seeing Zaraki in her mind's eye. She needed to hold him, to feel secure again. When, she wondered, had her security become dependent on him?

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I hope you like the latest chapter. More to come. Let me know what you think. Please review!