Title: Its not so Black and White
Author: watchingpaintdry
Fandom: Bleach
Characters: Zaraki Kenpachi, other
Prompt: #21 - Friends
Genre and Rating: Friendship/General, T to be safe...
Disclaimer: Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, I don't own Bleach, so you can't sue.
Word Count: unknown
Summary: He'd never had a friend before. Well, except Yachiru, and she was family.
Author's Note: AAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!! RANDOM!!!!!!
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"Where's Yachiru?" It seemed like a simple question to him, and he hadn't been drinking that much, so why were they staring at him like they were afraid he was going to spontaneously combust?
"She's playing with the new girl, Setsuna." said Ikkaku.
"Oooooooh, the cute one?" squealed Yumichika in delight, clapping his hands, apparently oblivious to the suddenly darkened atmosphere.
Kenpachi frowned into his sake, mulling over this information.
Setsuna Asayake had been added to the 11th division despite his protests. The girl was all of 5 foot nothing, looked about as lethal as a house plant, and had a tendency to apologize allot for things that weren't her fault.
Taking another sip, Kenpachi grimaced.
The girl was the fifth born of a rich, influential family in Sereitai, hence her immediate seat placement after graduation. Yachiru, unlike Kenpachi, had taken immediately to the green-eyed red-head and claimed her as a playmate, disappearing into the bowels of the 11th division for hours on end.
This, in on itself, was not was annoyed Kenpachi. No, it was the sheer lack of Yachiru's presence that irked him. However, he smirked as he poured himself another cup, Yachiru would probably soon grow bored of Setsuna's presence, making it easier for Kenpachi to scare her away.
Yes, he thought, as he grinned into his cup.
He couldn't wait for that day to come.
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"Nee-chan, this one's sooooo cute!!!! I LOVE IT!!!!" Yachiru cheered, twirling in the frilly pink dress.
Setsuna chuckled, managing to wrestle the little girl back onto the stool, mouth full of pins.
"Come on, Yachiru-chan, at this rate I won't have it finished by dinner, then you won't be able to show it off to Zaraki-taichou." she mock-scolded, smiling at the look of utter horror in Yachiru's eyes.
"UWAH!!! NONONONONO!!! I'll be good!!!" shrieked the little girl, obediently standing as still as possible. Setsuna shook her head, pinned the last of the hem into place, then stepped back.
"Alright, Yachiru-chan, you can change now." The pink-haired little girl skipped behind a folding screen in one corner of the playroom, and the sound of rustling taffeta followed shortly after.
Yachiru re-materialized in her shihakusho, the mass of shiny pink fabric thrown over one shoulder.
"Here, Nee-chan!!!" she said, handing over the unfinished garment.
Setsuna grinned, before plopping down on a cushion and picking up a needle and thread.
"I made cookies yesterday, Yachiru-chan, they're on the side-table."
As the red-head set to work, the little girl gave a shriek of joy and dove for the indicated plate.
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Ikkaku glanced to his left, to where Kenpachi sat with the other captains, looking positively livid.
The current event, if it could really be called that, consisted of a dinner hosting all of the captains, vice-captains, and seated officer's up to number 10. Something about boosting moral and comeradiere.
However, the meal had yet to start, seeing as one of the aforementioned vice-captains was missing. Mutters and uneasy glances were flowing through the room, most wondering where the hell Kusajishi was.
Suddenly, the doors to the dining hall flew open and a miniature ball of pink chaos shot through it, launching itself at Kenpachi.
The impact sent the 11th division captain sprawling, an excited Yachiru perched happily on his stomach.
"KEN-CHAN!!!! LOOK WHAT NEE-CHAN MADE MEEEEE!!!!" her shriek was loud enough for the entire soul society, and probably the surrounding Rukongai, to hear.
Turning to the battered doors, Ikkaku could make out the form of Setsuna jogging into the dining hall, panting and looking thoroughly out of breathe.
"Gomennasai, Taichou, for not being here on time." she panted, skidding to a halt in front of the captains table and giving a hasty bow.
It was then, and only then, that Ikkaku, and most of the room, noticed just what Yachiru was wearing.
It was frilly, pink, shinny, and so bright that it hurt the eyes. The princess cut dress probably had enough taffeta and toile to clothe half of Rukongai, and some of Sereitai besides. It even had a little matching crown that Setsuna had pinned into Yachiru's hair.
Kenpachi blinked down at Yachiru, then up at Setsuna, who was fidgeting nervously, then back down to Yachiru, at a loss for words for the first time in his life.
"Can we eat now?" asked Soi Fon from farther down the table, sounding annoyed.
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Much later that evening, after Yachiru, still hyped up on her new dress and cookies, had finally been put to bed, Kenpachi went in search for his elusive 7th seat.
He found her by the koi pond in Yumichika's garden, feeding the fish what looked like bread crumbs.
"Zaraki-Taichou?" Setsuna felt, more than heard, her captains quite approach, and turned to glance at him over her shoulder.
Kenpachi grunted, before coming to sit beside her on the edge of the pond.
They sat in companionable silence for a while, watching the fish swim lazily under the surface of the dark water.
Finally, Kenpachi spoke.
"I...wanted to...uh...thank you." he muttered, not looking at Setsuna. The red-head blinked, looking quizzically at her captain.
"What for?" at this, Kenpachi looked at her, his eyebrows furrowed.
"For Yachiru, that dress you made her, she likes it allot." Setsuna grinned, before turning back to throw more bread crumbs to the fish.
"You don't need to thank me, I was happy to make it. I'm the only girl in a household of boys, so Yachiru's kinda like the sister I never had. Just seeing her so excited about that dress was enough for me." she explained.
Kenpachi grunted, turning away to look back over the pond. A sudden tap on his shoulder startled him, and he looked over to see Setsuna offering him the bag of bread crumbs.
"Would you like to feed the fish, too?"
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To Be Continued...
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Setsuna: Calm Snow
Asayake: Morning Glow
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