One is Too Many

Holy crap, you guys went crazy! *L* Thank you so much, I'm really glad you're enjoying this. Makaikitty, sweetsatincocoa, BeniHime, and young_saiyan, I really appreciate your reviews, it's very exciting to open my email and have a bunch waiting for me. :) I haven't seen many Ikkaku/Kira fics around lately but when I first started reading, they were all you could find and just kind of stuck in my head as a favorite pairing. Anyways, go forth adn enjoy!






~Kira~


Personally, I hate mornings. Sleep is a safe place to be, dark and quiet where nothing hurts and no one is there to harm you; I rarely dream, waking nightmares too vivid to be compared to anything my subconscious could produce. The bed is so warm today, well worth the extra time to snuggle down and be safe a little longer. My blanket is softer than usual and heavier. I must be especially tired. The body beside me is warm and I curl happily into the broad side.

Body? Side? Frantic scrambling nearly sends me over the edge of the bed before a thick arm wraps around my waist and drags me back. Suddenly, the lack of clothes is glaringly apparent and I try to crawl away, shame burning my cheeks and neck. A groan from beside me and a slightly pointed nose nuzzles my ear. “Mm, still early. Go back to sleep.”

Sleepy lips move against my neck and I freeze, trying not even to breath. I've never slept with anyone before, only held Tetsummi's hand as I pass out but that hardly counts. This is strange, flesh against flesh, warmth shared and transfered between us. It's more intimate than even the most terrifying torture or the hardest sex. Deep breaths push the short hair at the back of my neck around and the Captain slips back into sleep, arm around my waist.

Slowly, slowly, I edge out and crawl away, careful to take a sheet with me. I have nothing to wear, only the pink kimono and even my battered pride can't handle wandering the halls wearing it in the light of day. I would rather go back naked, or wrapped in a sheet, which is what I fully intend to do. Soft cloth, the empty bottles, and the tray are gathered and I sneak to the door, nudging the corner with my foot, trying to edge it along quietly. It opens abruptly and I stumble forward with a squeak, sending the dishes flying, heavy bottles clattering loudly on the floor, dish shattering at my feet.

A strong arm catches me and I lift my head to stare into my third's face. There is barely time to smile before I'm hauled backwards, a heavier arm around my waist pushing me back towards the bed. “Kira!” A familiar clink of metal and Ikkaku's blade is locked with Tetsummi's, dark eyes fully alert from the sleepy contentment of a moment ago; power arcs between them, dangerous and vaguely protective.

“No! Please, sir, I tripped. It was my fault, sir. Please, Tetsummi was only helping me.” Even crawling is impossible, tangled in the sheet as I am. All I can do is beg. “Please, please, don't hurt him, please.” And clutch at the sheet, keeping it as high as possible, covering as much of my body as I can.

“Well fuck. What were you thinking, slinking out of here with your arms full and half naked?” He doesn't seem very upset as he slides his sword away and sets it back beside the bed. “Come on, up you go.” His hands are huge, wrapping around my arms, making them feel like matchsticks. Gentle lifting brings me to my feet and I stand, head down, trembling; he'll definitely hit me now, if not for leaving without permission, then for breaking the dishes.

Nothing happens. A minute passes, then another and still only silence. When I finally look up, the bald man is staring at me, hands on his hips as he examines my skin, eyes drawn to the scars on my upper chest and shoulders particularly. The sheet suddenly seems much too small and I try to hunch my shoulders forward, hide the awful, ugly marks but he keeps staring. As if he's never seen me before, his hands move up to hold my shoulders, dwarfing them and making me feel even more fragile.

I'm not that much shorter then he is but curled like this, he has to lean way down to touch our foreheads together. As hard as I try, a tiny whimper escapes; it seems to break some kind of spell and he pulls back, odd expression on his face. A glance at Tetsummi and I'm released. “Go on. I'll have someone else clean this up.”

Without looking back I dart by him and past the older officer. Behind me, I can faintly hear their voices but they dull before the need to hide. When the door shuts behind me, a deep sigh of relief escapes and my feet finally start to hurt. A glance down shows them to be bleeding lightly, little smudges leaving a trail out the door. There is a soft knock at the door and Tetsummi's low voice asking if I'm all right. “Of course. Thank you, Tetsummi. I'm fine.” I can heal these tiny wounds myself.

It only takes a moment but I sit for a long time, staring at the door, wrapped in a borrowed sheet. Why didn't he take me, touch me? He could have, I offered so he could even say I wanted to. Why, why, why? I'm so confused, my stomach is churning and I can't stop crying. The tears are so hot; I can't remember the last time I cried, really cried, not just a reaction to physical pain.

This is so hard. Is he taunting me? Trying to lull me into a sense of security before using me? Or will he just throw me away and choose another? No! No, I won't let him. Someone must know what he likes, I have to be able to bring him to me. Yumichika? No, not him. He'll tell the Captain, I know it. Matsumoto, I think they were friendly. She'll help me, I'm sure she's my friend as much as his.

There is laughter in the hall now, young and sweet, ready for a new day and I can't help but smile. My face is still wet, breathing ragged and I'm sitting here grinning like an moron because some children are laughing in the hall. I'm an idiot.

**an hour later**

“Alright, all you little girls line up.” The division straggles into place, uneven lines and slouched shoulders. “That is fucking pathetic! What kind of shit are they teaching at that fucking academy anyways? Stand up straight, shoulders back, suck that stomach in you fat pig! Get some decent lines here.” The bald Captain grins abruptly and pulls his sword. “Guess you and me are gonna teach these idiots what a straight line is.” I want to interfere but he doesn't look angry, even with the yelling.

With Him, you could never tell what He was thinking, feeling. With the new Captain, it seems almost too easy. He's so expressive, wearing his feelings on his face, voice raised in all kinds of emotions, arms flailing around. Always in motion, vibrant.

Pleasure gleams in his eyes as he calls his sword to form; he seems to truly enjoy pulling his weapon. The staff zips along in an arrow straight line, nicking a few men as they dodge, scrambling into a better formation. Again and again to the sound of yelps when someone gets caught until the entire division is standing at attention. “Still pretty shitty but we'll practice later. About face!” The order is bellowed and the entire team whips around as one. “Go!”

Glances are traded and I stepped forward, clearing my throat nervously. “Ah, Captain, sir, go where?” Really, there is nowhere to go.

“What? You pansies don't run laps? Move! Top speed, first one down gets his ass beat and extra laps!” All eyes turn to me as I fight not to tremble from the yelling directly in my face; a quick nod and I turn to jog to the front of the group before breaking into a run, leading easily in a series of laps. At least I'm a good runner.

On the fiftieth lap, one of the younger men starts to fall back and I drop back to run with him, urging him along softly. Another half a dozen laps and we're falling further and further behind. “Kira! Get your ass to the front.” Ah! He's yelling right in my ear! The shock makes me stumble a bit but I catch myself, peering over my shoulder to see our new Captain jogging along beside us. “Leave the pussy.”

I lick my lips quickly and go back to talking my young team member along, pushing him to keep up, or at least keep moving. When he stumbles, I grab his arm and nearly go flying with him but manage to pull him back up and nudge him along. A hard hand in the middle of my back shoves me forward, trying to force me to abandon him, but I just drop back again. It may not be very smart, but I've put nearly a century into protecting these men and I'm not giving one up on the first day. My voice remains steady, the hand under his arm firm but pushing, keeping us both at a slow jog. “Move it! You have breath to talk, you can run faster. Just leave him. He's useless if he can't even keep up with this group of wusses.”

I try to ignore the loud voice in my ear, not an easy feat and am distracted by warm breath on my cheek. The young man stumbles, jerking me to a halt and down to one knee; a firm pull and we're back on our feet, the lower ranking man leaning heavily on my shoulder “Come on, you did well. Let's get you back. You shouldn't just stop anyways.” The Captain's anger is rising quickly, his frown deepening by the second but we move forward slowly, short steps and ragged breathing leading the way to the dorm step.

“First one down, Lieutenant. Move.” Long bangs move in front of my face and I'm terrified. I don't mean to defy him, not in front of everyone but... But. “Last warning, Kira. Move away.” His voice holds rage, hot and beating at my ears, and I remember the last time I defied my leader but it doesn't matter; I just decided this morning to protect them all and I will.

Another stumble and we both hit the ground, dust rising from where our knees touch down. “No. He's just tired. We all are.” My team is not useless. My legs are shaking from exhaustion and fear but I force myself up to stand over my charge, shoulders habitually relaxed against the strike that must be coming. Motion is caught from the corner of my eye and I flinch away instinctively, even knowing it will lead to more punishment, a harsher beating. Mostly, I hope it will be put off and not done in public like this. And that he doesn't break anything. I really hope that.

A seemingly huge hand picks me up by the back of my robe and it feels like I'm flying. But not nearly as wonderful and free as truly flying or even a long jump. The brief flight ends harshly when I'm thrown to the ground in the middle of the compound; immediately, I scramble into position, kneeling with my head down, hands folded. He doesn't seem to notice, just glares around and yells for the team's attention. “Hold up. Lieutenant Kira seems to think he knows better than me. Anyone agree with him?” He's glaring at me, hands on his hips and I'm reminded of how big he is, towering over me, muscle bulging from arms that look as big around as my thighs. It would do no good to deny that I want to counter him, to lead, so I remain silent.

Staring at the ground hides some of the fear, though I'm certain he can smell it. Please, please, don't take me here, in the dirt in front of them all. I don't know if I can stand it without screaming, and I do have tiny smudges of pride.

The men are slowing from the bald Captain's yelling and gathering at his beckoning. My bangs are providing the shelter I need to watch them, the smirks on the younger men, worry etched on the older faces. A tiny smile; they never needed to learn to hide the way I did and it's strangely comforting even if it gives Captain Ikkaku a weapon against us. Tetsummi and Hadarame start forward, what they think to do I don't know, but my bangs flick to keep them back. I'm used to this and I can take it, whatever is thrown my way; they are not and might not react properly.

And with this many witnesses on my side, I won't die. That is a comforting thought and I close my eyes, blocking out the sight of thick legs in front of my face. “Stand up. Lift your head. It's pathetic the way you idiots keep staring at the ground. S'a damn disgrace. Don't you have any pride?”

A graceful flex of legs and I flow up to stand, staring straight ahead, arms still relaxed and waiting. A heavy fist flies at my face and I close my eyes; this is going to hurt so very much. It doesn't hit, my bangs flying back from the air pressure. “Aren't you gonna block?” Unwilling tension in my shoulders is forced down. He sounds curious, almost a bit unsure and his voice is low so only I can hear him clearly.

My eyes open and stare at the wide fist, examining the soft looking little hairs, the dark lines of tan and pale white lines where the sun didn't reach. “Do you want me to?” I can't think of why I would want to; blocking will just transfer the strike and increase the likelihood of a severe injury. I've always found my face is the least likely to sustain heavy damage and it's better to be hit there. But, maybe this Captain won't care about that. I don't know what to do.

The fist pulls back and I find myself staring into dark eyes that examine me as if I were a rare and particularly stupid specimen. “What the hell is wrong with you? Of course I do. If you just stand there, you'll die. If someone tries to hit you, you block and hit them back. Someone kicks you, you kick them back.” The wide-set eyes pull away and scan the still softly panting team watching them. “That goes for all of you.” His head shakes, sun bouncing off the smooth dome. “Alright, pair off. Let's see you fight.”


~Ikkaku~


Fuck. I knew I shouldn't have taken this. Hell, all I ever wanted was to travel with Yume, then to serve under Kenpachi. That's it, nothing more, and here I am watching a bunch of barely trained kids play fight. That one's not even holding his sword strongly enough to withstand a single hit!

Why, why, why? Fucking Yumi. 'Oh, it'll be fun, Ikka! You'll like it! People to do as you tell them, men to train, you like to train, and you can compete with Kenpachi! Of course, you'll never win but you could try!' Fuck you too Yumi. 'It's a great chance to get stronger.' That had been a consideration but still... 'Aaaannnnd, Kira's there.' That was the clincher, really.

The fact that the Captain said I had to only had a little something to do with it. The beating he gave me when I said I didn't want to had a lot more to do with it. But mostly, I wanted to come, to protect him. The thought of having Kira at my beck and call, where I could see him anytime was just too tempting to let pass. Plus, the thought of him falling under someone else, someone who wouldn't treat him right, be gentle and kind to him, was just unacceptable. Still is. Even if he is terrified of me; he's so beaten down I feel sick.

He's watching me from the corner of his eye, taking a break and sitting on the ground beside the, third, I think he said. Big guy, looks passably competent. “Oi, you!” They both jump and cast guilty glances at me; yeah, cause I didn't know you were talking about me. “Get over here.” They both hop up and come running to stand in front of me, heads down.

“Yes, sir.” It's not even a question, just a statement that they will do whatever I tell them. I can't help but shake my head.

“You,” My finger jabs the big man in the chest. “Find the strongest after you. I wanna see what our best look like.” A quick nod and he's off, pounding over packed dirt to tap another big guy on the shoulder and whisper to him. “Lieutenant, run the officers by me. Faces, levels and strengths.”

Those amazing blue eyes don't even look up, just stare at the ground as he recites all ten officers, pointing a delicate finger to each as he speaks. “Hadarame is the fourth officer, there, speaking to Tetsummi, and he specializes in a wind attack. Tetsummi is third and uses a fire based sword. Then there's me, the Vice-Captain, and those are the officers.” He hasn't moved except to shift his finger and his arm drops to his side now.

“Huh.” From the short, uninformative, speech, I'll have to find each one and speak to him myself. Either Kira doesn't know their strengths and weaknesses, or he doesn't want to tell me. He keeps showing this solid little backbone and it's confusing; if he's this stubborn and tough, why the hell did he stay? Not like there weren't any options; he could have screamed for help and anyone would have pulled him out. If he had, Ichimaru and Aizen might have been outed sooner, before they could cause so much trouble.

Of course, maybe not, given Aizen's particular ability. Maybe he figured it was too much of a risk. Yume just might be right, not that I'll ever tell him if he is. Conceited little bugger. The only time my pretty Lieutenant has flashed that backbone at me has been in defense of the men, putting himself between me and them. His loyalty is unmatched and I admire that even more than strength.

Silence has fallen and I don't think to break it until the officers appear and kneel, waiting for instruction. I let them, just to see how long it'll take for them to start fidgeting They don't. Long minutes and I'm getting restless but they stay still, heads down, balanced on one knee, swords flat on the ground at their sides. Kira hasn't moved either, standing silently beside me.

I am officially bored. “Alright, you two get out there and show me what you got.” Silent nods and they both stand to move to the center of the compound. A soft sound from Kira and I look over to see him watching them carefully, worry in his eyes.

He sees me looking and shutters his gaze immediately, blank mask falling into place. “Sir?”

“What? You wanna say something, do so.” Long bangs twitch but he doesn't move otherwise. See? Backbone. “And if you're gonna say it, look up. I can't hear you when you mumble against your chest.”

Still silence between us; he's considering my words, thinking carefully before speaking. Half an inch up with his chin, but his eyes remain on the ground. “Sir, would you like for me to call the others back? They might get caught in the backlash.”

Huh. I guess, if they're that weak. But it's just a spar. “Do whatever you want.” Whatever makes him happy.

“Of course, sir. Thank you, sir.” I think I hate that word.

A low bow and he turns away, clear voice ringing over the compound calling anyone not involved to the sidelines. They obey instantly, retreating to the edges of the cleared area; well, at least they listen to him. His hand rises in the air and both fighters bow to him, holding the position for a full ten seconds before turning to face each other, drawing their swords. They're making a big deal out a sparring match.

No time to think about it, the slender arm drops and both men charge silently, the clang of metal on metal ringing. Again and again they clash, pushing at each other, attacking smoothly, as if they've done this thousands of times. “Sir?” The quiet voice takes me by surprise, right beside me. I was concentrating on the fight and must have missed his approach; I nod, not looking back. “Should they release their weapons, sir?”

I do look at that but he's staring at the ground. “Of course. How else will I judge their strength?”

“Of course, sir.” Yeah, that word is gonna go. I watch him take a few steps away and raise his arm again. It slashes down as the men break apart again, his voice covering the distance easily. “Release!” Surprising, how loud he can be.

Light flares at both ends of the fight grounds, both swords growing and the spirit energy increase is impressive, even as two parts of a whole. I nod as Kira returns to stand behind me; he's tense and watching the fight carefully. I can feel his power increasing subtly, bit by bit in anticipation. Of what, I have no idea.

My attention returns to the fight as flame whirlwinds in all directions, dispersed by a gust of air. Both men are sweating, swords clashing before they break apart and attack using energy again. The bigger one, the one with the fire, don't remember his name, finally lands a kick, sending his smaller opponent flying. Kira jerks beside me but stays.

The wind user climbs back up and leans on his sword. “I give.”

What the fuck! “Hey, nobody gives! Not now, not ever. Ya fight or ya die, win or lose. Only pussies give and I ain't got no pussies in my squad!” And all those language lessons Yumichika gave me went right out the fucking window. Honestly, what the hell do they think we're running here, a fucking carnival? “Get yer ass back out there and fight. Ya can still move and talk shit like fucking surrender, then you can sure the fuck fight!”

“Yes, sir! Sorry, sir!” At least he's got his weapon up again. Fuck, who taught these morons how to fight? Bet they're all out of that damn academy. Most useless thing ever invented, you ask me.

Metal crashes again, the screech of edges loud and I grin. That's what I want to hear. They're both tiring quickly, not much stamina in any of them, but they're fighting decently again, a bit heavy on the energy, lots of fancy techniques being passed back and forth. Have to work on that and...

Kira's shaking beside me, hands tucked into his sleeves but I'm sure they're in fists. The wind user is down again, flat this time and it doesn't look like he'll get up again. That is how you end a spar. I start to grin and beam at them both, the fire user staring at me across the grounds. He looks angry but readies another energy bolt, holding it in his hand, waiting for something. “Sir, please. Hadarame has lost, please allow him to retreat.”

My smile drops away instantly. Is he waiting for me to give the order to kill? “Enough.” Energy crackles as the bolt is released into the air. A low bow that I acknowledge quickly and the winning fighter kneels to check on his partner.

“Sir, may I please go and assist? I have some light healing ability, if you don't mind.” He's so submissive it makes my head hurt; he can't possibly survive like that.

“Look up when you talk me. Go for now. We'll discuss this later.” And we will, extensively, and I will find out exactly what they are trained for. It's certainly not battle. Blond hair bows quickly and he nearly runs across the packed ground to help, falling to his knees beside the prostrate man, murmuring quietly.

Looking around me, I think I'm going to be sick later. Not now, not where they can see me, but this is going to hunt my dreams, I already know it. Fear is etched on their faces, burned into the lines around their mouths and eyes, helplessness glares from tense muscles, and I can't help but wonder what they were used for. Entertainment? Couldn't have been often, missing shinigami would be noticed and there hadn't been any suspicious deaths since Yumi and I came here with the Captain.

I'll ask later, when it's just Kira and me. My sweet little Vice-Captain will tell me everything, even if I have to beat it out of him.