A Shinigami Valentine

"Chizu?" Akina questioned Captain Kuchiki nervously. "What about her?"

"My understanding is that until recently you were a close friend to Abe-san?" he said quietly. Akina stared at the man. He sat in the narrow, stiff-back chair with an almost regal manner. He regarded her calmly, his expression smooth and unreadable.

"Until recently, I was under the impression that she was worthy of being called a friend. I was mistaken." Akina said coldly. He arched one perfect eyebrow as he asked,

"Could you elaborate on the circumstances that led to the dissolution of your friendship?"

"No, I couldn't." she snapped. "Honestly, it's none of your business, Captain Kuchiki."

"You are correct, Ito-san. My inquiries are of a personal nature but as I said before, I believe that the security of the Sereitei is in jeopardy. I would greatly appreciate any assistance you can provide." he said quietly. Akina frowned. He obviously had reasons for seeking her out to ask about Chizu. She just didn't understand what those reasons could be.

"Ito-san," he started.

"I'd prefer you call me Akina. I can deal with Nemu calling me Ito-san but if you expect me to open up to you about the personal aspects of my life, I expect you to call me Akina." she insisted.

"I would prefer Ito-san." he replied simply.

"Captain Kuchiki, I was under the impression that you, of all people, were a gentleman. Correct me if I'm wrong but shouldn't a true gentleman strive to make the lady more comfortable? While it may be hard to tell from my current condition, but I do have a few ladylike qualities. And I would be more comfortable being referred to as Akina...sir." she said with a smile. His eyebrow arched again as he regarded her with a faint smile.

"You are correct, Ito-san. It is my sincere desire to make you feel at ease while discussing this with me. But as a Captain of the Gotei 13, I must always remember my place and it would be inappropriate for me to appear so familiar as to call you by your given name." he offered politely.

"And yet Captain Kuchiki, Commander Yamamoto, who clearly is a higher ranking member of the Gotei 13 than you, refers to me as Akina. I find your argument flawed, sir." she countered, smiling.

"Ah...a salient point. You are not what I expected...Akina." he said softly. She grinned.

"I think that's a good thing." she laughed. "So, Captain Kuchiki, why are you asking about Chizu?" she said, shifting to sit up straighter in her bed. He looked up with a more pronounced smile.

"Please, call me Byakuya." he said quietly.

"I would prefer using your title, sir." she said quickly. His blue eyes sharpened as he firmly said,

"I insist."

"Okay..." she whispered, thinking this was all her doing for being a smart ass. She paused, thinking of the incident with Chizu and the vase.

"Thank you for changing my bed...Byakuya. It was very unexpected." she said quietly.

"It was the simplest solution. I had hoped to speak to you alone without attracting undo attention. And I enjoy it. Before my wife became ill, it was a morning ritual for the two of us. She was unaccustomed to western style beds. Making the bed each day was important to her. I enjoyed helping her. It was a simple act but we would talk...and laugh. Now, I find it quite relaxing." he explained quietly. Akina smiled. It was obvious that it was a fond memory for him. He paused for a moment to gather his thoughts then said,

"Akina, are you familiar with the abilities of Chizu's zanpakuto? I've only seen her use it once, not long after she joined my squad. In it's release form, it can be used to instill doubt in her opponent. Doubt on the battlefield can be a deadly thing. It can cause even the strongest of opponents to question their ability. To falter at critical moments. This leads to hesitation and openings for attack. It is quite effective."

"What does this have to do with me?" Akina asked.

"I have recently been looking into Chizu's past acquaintances. I found it strange that you were the only other shinigami she interacted with on a social basis. It almost seems that you isolated her from others?"

"No, I didn't. I encouraged Chizu to get out more. Now, I've never really had a lot of friends except for Chizu." Akina explained.

"Why is that?" he asked quietly.

"Oh, I don't really know. I just never seemed to feel comfortable with most people. It's hard to trust..." Akina faltered, thinking back over the years. She was only now realizing that she did have other friends...Nemu, Nanao and Mai...people who had been there if she had only opened her eyes to the possibilities. Why had she shut everyone but Chizu out of her life, she wondered. She didn't have a good answer for that. It just seemed...she faltered again. She didn't trust them. But why, she struggled to remember. There had to be a good reason for a decade or more of mistrust. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"She did this to me, didn't she?" she whispered.

"Yes, I believe she did." he said sympathetically. "I also believe she is responsible for Captain Zaraki's doubt and mistrust where you are concerned. I believe that she may have used her ability to convince several key members of the Sereitei of your unworthiness as well, resulting in rampant rumors regarding you."

"But why?" she cried out.

"I'm not entirely sure but it appears that she wants to keep you isolated. I don't have all the answers yet, Akina. But I wanted to speak to you, to solidify some of my suspicions." he said, standing.

"So that's the reason why Zaraki believes her so emphatically?" she asked softly.

"Yes, I believe that to be so. She must see his relationship with you as a threat somehow. I really can't say yet." he said thoughtfully.

"This ability, Captain Kuchiki, how can I counter it?"

"I'm not sure that you can. But it does seem to weaken over time. You are a prime example. Given enough time away from Chizu's influence and you have developed several other friendships as well as a budding romance with Captain Zaraki. All of which seems to have angered Chizu greatly."

"Why? I don't understand! Why would she do all this, sir?" she snapped.

"I have my suspicions but it is too soon to discuss it. I must verify other facts first. Thank you, Akina. I hope you continue to recover quickly. If you feel that it will help, I am willing to speak with Captain Zaraki on your behalf." he offered.

"That's okay. I don't think he'd believe you." she said with a sigh. "I don't know what I'm going to do."

"I am very sorry that this has happened. You and Captain Zaraki are an unlikely pair but I believe well-suited. I hope that you are able to work this out amicably. Goodbye, Akina and thank you." he said, leaving.

"Wait!" she called out, catching him in the doorway. "You didn't explain what all this has to do with the security of the Sereitei."

"No, I didn't. Good day, Akina." he said smoothly as he walked away, leaving her to her thoughts.

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"Did your girlfriend leave?" Zaraki asked quietly from the door a short time later. Akina looked up in surprise.

"Who?" she asked, not sure who he was referring to.

"Kuchiki." he snapped, walking leisurely over to the bed.

"Yes, he left awhile ago." she said with a smile. He was jealous. She could feel it radiating off him.

"What did you two chat about...in private?" he asked, crossing his arms as he looked down at her.

"We were talking about Chizu. You went to see her while I was on patrol, right?" Akina asked.

"Yeah, so what?" he snapped.

"What did she tell you, Kenpachi? I mean specifics...what did she say?" she asked. He frowned. It looked like he was struggling to remember.

"You can't remember, can you?" she said gently. He looked up at her darkly.

"She told me about you. Why I can't trust you alone with people like Kuchiki!" he growled.

"I don't think she told you anything. I think she influenced you just like she did me for years." she countered. "Don't you remember the first night we met? You knew even then that she didn't act like a friend to me. I couldn't see it but you did. Do you remember?"

"Of course, I remember." he snapped, irritated. "She was being a shit about the bar. Talking about how you weren't pretty enough. Buncha bullshit."

"Right. And when we were together on Valentine's Day, you told me to forget about her and all the nasty things she said, remember?" she continued.

"Yeah, what's the point of all this, Akina?" he asked quietly.

"Well, I need you to forget about all the nasty things she said about me. They really were lies. I just found out that her zanpakuto has the ability to put doubt in people's hearts and minds. I think she's been doing that to me for years. I also think she used it on you when you went to see her. And that's why you don't trust me anymore." she explained softly. He listened with a dark expression. She couldn't tell what he thought about it all. She didn't think he would take kindly to it though. He didn't like to be tricked or made a fool of.

"Bullshit!" he growled. Akina's heart fell.

"Just think about it, Kenpachi. You said yourself that you can't remember what she said or did to prove all these wild accusations to you. She just convinced you...without evidence...without proof." she tried to reason with him. He stared at her hard as he quietly said,

"I asked Old Man Yama about the Academy Fire. He told me that the rumor was true. If that one's true, odds are they all are. Look Akina, I don't wanna talk about this shit anymore. I told you before."

"Fine!" she snapped, frowning. "At least think about what I said...please?"

"I'll think about it if you'll shut up about it." he growled. "I gotta go anyway. There's something I need to do. Would you try to get some fuckin' rest? You ain't never gonna get outta here at this rate."

"I will take a nap. I promise. It's just hard because people keep stopping by. I don't want to be rude when they take time out of their day just to visit me." she explained, yawning.

"I don't give a shit about them. Piss 'em off! Suits me fine. I care about you and you need to get some damned rest. I'm gonna tell that nurse to keep the visitors from bothering you while I'm gone. Sleep!" he ordered. She nodded, watching him leave with a puzzled expression. Did he care? He had to...at least a little, she thought. He had admitted it. Granted, he probably didn't realize that he had said those words to her. But the fact that he did, only gave greater credence to the words. He cared...about her. A smile spread slowly across her face.

"Sleep!" he repeated from the door with a dark look of warning.

"I will. See you later, Kenpachi." she promised. He grinned suddenly.

"I'll be back after I take care of this thing." he said, still grinning. He was up to something. She could feel it.


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Sorry that it's such a short chapter. I was having trouble with the second part so I decided to split it and post this half. Hope you like it. I'd love to hear what you think so reviews are always welcome! And thanks so very much to all of you who have left reviews so far. You are the best...ever!!