A Shinigami Valentine

Akina and Chizu approached the bar. Loud music poured out the door. Over the sound of the music roared laughter, loud voices and the sound of fighting. As Akina reached for the door, she sensed a rush of reiatsu and jumped back. A body came flying out the door, landing on the ground in front of them.

"Akina..." Chizu whispered fearfully.

"Just step over him." Akina reassured her, eying the unconscious man cautiously.

"Is he dead?" Chizu asked, looking down at him. Akina tugged her friend forward.

"He's alive. I can feel his heart beating. Come on."

Akina entered first. The bar was dimly lit but the pressure of reiatsu made the room a rainbow to her. She had the unusual ability of being able to see reiatsu as an almost physical aura. Each person's was unique in color and size. It came in handy in times like this. She felt Chizu latch onto her hand tightly as she made her way slowly up to the bar. Groups of men littered the bar in small groups. Clustered around one of the tables was a large group playing cards. Money was flying as the hands shuffled away quickly. Another bunch of men were grouped on one end of the bar and drinking heavily. The leaned unsteadily against the bar if they couldn't stand up straight on their own. In the center of the room, a group was clustered around two men fighting. Akina was thankful that no swords were involved yet. She spotted a clear spot near the far end of the bar and rushed into it.

"See? No big deal." Akina said, watching the man standing around them warily. Chizu had a way of attracting the attention of men.

"Whaddya ladies want?" the bartender asked, looking them both over slowly.

"Sake!" A loud voice boomed out from somewhere over Akina's head. She looked over her shoulder and found herself faced with a wall of muscle. A face appeared above the hard, chiseled muscle. A lone piercing, grey eye met hers.

"Hello there." the deep voice spoke quietly, his voice carrying over the roar of the bar. Akina leaned back, realizing that it was the infamous Captain Zarkai. He grinned at her, his sharped tooth smile almost predatory, as he looked her over then moved his gaze to Chizu.

"Hello." Akina said quietly, her eyes moved over the bare expanse of sculptured chest that remained at her eye level then bounced back up to his scarred, chiseled face. His grin sharpened.

"Akina!" Chizu hissed urgently. Akina spun around at the panicked sound of her friend's voice. Two big, heavily muscled men had crowded in on either side of Chizu. Her eyes were wide with fear as the men closed in on her, laughing and telling her how pretty she was.

"Excuse me. Back off." Akina yelled, pushing against the man closest to her. He didn't budge, laughing at Akina's effort. He shoved her away, making more room for him to close in on Chizu. Akina slammed back against the wall of a man that was Captain Zaraki.

"Sorry." she hissed at him quickly as she regained her footing. Anger coursed through her veins as she lunged forward, catching the man's hand before he could grab Chizu with it. She twisted it sharply behind him until she felt bone cracking. The man screamed in pain, rising up with Akina as she pulled him away from Chizu. Using her other hand, she slammed his head into the wooden bar top. Blood sprayed. The man jerked up, shouting obscenities. She slammed his head down again for good measure then threw him backwards to the floor, still holding his hand tightly at a painful angle. Before he could react, she rushed forward, her foot slammed hard against his throat.

"The next time a woman says no, you better damn well listen or I'm gonna come back here and stomp on your fucking dick instead of your neck, asshole!" she screamed at him. The man bucked wildly. She could tell by the look in his eyes that he intended to hurt her once he was on his feet again.

"Got it, asshole?" she repeated, letting off the pressure on his throat slightly.

"I'm gonna fuckin' kill you bitch." he gasped out the words.

"Okay!" she said easily, snapping his hand sharply. The echo of breaking bone rose above the sound of the crowd then was drowned out by the sound of the man screaming in pain. Akina dropped his hand, backing away slowly. She looked around, surprised that his friend hadn't intervened. She now saw why he hadn't.

Captain Zarkai had placed a restraining hand on the man's shoulder. His eyes darted fearfully from the captain to her to his injured friend then back again. Chizu rushed forward.

"I want to go....now!" she yelled loudly.

"But I didn't even get a drink." Akina objected. Chizu's eyes flared angrily.

"Now!" She screamed, grabbing Akina's hand and pulling her to the door. She dragged her out of the bar and didn't stop pulling until they were halfway across the Sereitei.

"Let go, Chizu!" Akina yelled finally.

"I am never ever ever going near Division 11 again." Chizu screamed. Akina grinned. She wondered what the men had said to her.

"They were touching me. Everywhere." she said with a shudder.

"Did you enjoy it?" Akina asked curiously. Chizu glared at her.

"No! Of course, I didn't. One of them was rubbing against me."

"Yeah, that's kinda gross." agreed Akina reluctantly. "But I really did want a drink."

"I'm going home." Chizu whined. "I have had more than enough for one evening."

"Okay, I think I've got some sake at home. Oh, don't forget your questionnaires." Akina called out, walking slowly towards her quarters.

"Oh no. Akina! I lost my questionnaires." Chizu called out. Akina laughed.

"I bet you dropped them at the bar."

"Oh no. Lt. Ise's gonna kill me. She scares the shit outta me." Chizu whined. Akina walked back, handing her half of the stack she'd been given.

"Take these and don't sweat it. The Sereitei is almost completely men and men aren't going to be interested in blind dates selected for them by some freaky computer. Stop worrying so much, Chizu! Just relax and try to enjoy your life a little."

"Thanks Akina...and you're right. I'm going to try. You just don't realize what it's like to have men falling all over themselves for you." Chizu snapped, organizing the questionnaires Akina had given her. Akina regarded the other woman darkly as Chizu continued,

"They're not always pawing at you...wanting you to go to bed with them. You don't have to deal with any of that! They leave you alone because you don't look like me."

"Right." Akina said quietly. She knew that her slender frame wasn't as voluptuous as Chizu's but she had some curves too, she thought angrily. Maybe not as pronounced as Chizu's but some men preferred smaller women. She'd had men look her way occasionally. Chizu looked up at her.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing!" Akina said sharply, walking away. She really didn't have a lot of friends in the Sereitei and she now realized that she had one less than she thought.

"Akina! What's wrong?" Chizu called out as Akina stormed away. She ignored her, she continued on to her quarters. A shadow fell across the walkway just before her door. She looked up to find Captain Zaraki standing close by.

"Hey." he said with his sharp-toothed grin.

"Hello again." she said warily.

"You dropped these." he said quietly, handing her the pile of questionnaires Chizu had lost.

"Oh, thank you. Chizu dropped them. Not me. But I appreciate you bringing them all this way."

"Your friend?" he asked, leaning against the wall, watching her closely as they spoke. She nodded then frowned.

"I think so." she said hesitantly.

"I heard what she said. Seemed kinda bitchy to me." he commented. She glanced up at him. It had seemed that way to her too.

"Women can be that way." she sighed, looking down at the questionnaires.

"What are those things?" he asked.

"These?" she asked, offering him a questionnaire, "Are the brainchild of the Shinigami Women's Association. Your vice-captain wants everyone to celebrate Valentine's Day!"

"Ché! She probably thinks she'll get more candy." he snorted, tossing the questionnaire aside. Akina smiled. Great minds think alike, she thought.

"Thanks for bringing these...oh, and for keeping that other guy from kicking my ass. I appreciate it!" she said, moving towards her door.

"Fights should be one on one." he stated flatly as if she should know that already.

"I agree! Thanks again, Captain Zarkai. Goodnight." she said, unlocking her door.

"You gonna do this Valentines thing?" he asked softly as she stepped inside. She glanced back with a smile.

"Unlike you, I don't have a choice. Lt. Ise will hurt me if I don't." she said easily.

"Yeah, she's kinda scary with those glasses and that book." he commented with a grin.

"Look, give me another one of those things." he snapped, holding out his hand. She handed him another questionnaire unsure why he was suddenly interested.

"So if I answer these stupid questions, there's a chance you'd go out with me?" he asked quietly without looking at her.

"There's a chance that we'd be matched up...yes...but..." she started. She was going to tell him that he didn't need to use the questionnaire. If he'd only ask her, she'd love to go out with him.

"Okay!" he said sharply, cutting her off. "Goodnight."

And then he was gone. Akina stood in the doorway, staring out into the darkness. How strange, she thought. She had never expected the fearsome Captain Zaraki to be shy.

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