Frost on a Hot Day

"You don't have to keep doing this," Kira said to Shuuhei as they walked together.

"What? There's nothing wrong with grabbing lunch with a friend," Shuuhei replied lightly.

"I know that you're all worried about me, but really I'm fine."

Shuuhei couldn't have disagreed more but there wasn't anything he could say that he hadn't already said several times before. It's not like Kira had ever been the cheery happy-go-lucky type of guy anyways, but ever since his captain had left he had become desolate. Or as Ikkaku had rudely put it the other day when they taken Kira out drinking, "a sinkhole where happy things go to die". That had only been reinforced when getting Kira drunk, which usually made him kind of goofy (and sometimes overly friendly), just made him go dead eyed and eventually unconscious.

It's not like Shuuhei didn't understand, but then again, he also hadn't seriously fought against a good friend like Kira had. Plus his captain hadn't been as…well…whatever the hell you'd describe Capta….ex-Captain Ichmaru as. "Evil snake fox demon thing," was the best Shuuhei could come with. Not that he'd say that to Kira, who somehow still seemed fond of the bastard. Then again, how would he himself act if was forced to fight against Kaname Tosen?

Shuuhei was lost in his thoughts and didn't feel Captain Zaraki coming. He didn't even notice the danger until it was almost too late.

Kira looked at the…thing in front of him. Kenpachi just glared at him.

"Ffffff…" giggled Kira. Holy shit, what the hell had Captain Zaraki done to himself? It was just too much…

"HahahahaHAHAHA…" he laughed loudly, voice cracking.

Kenpachi grabbed at his zanpakuto. Finally, someone with at least a little spiritual pressure to play with.

"SHIT!" thought Shuuhei, finally paying attention. He did the only thing he thought would save his friend.

"OOf," Kira fell to the ground unconscious from the well placed punch.

Kenpachi turned to face Shuuhei with a growl. Shuuhei was bowing. "I could not allow my friend to be so disrespectful to a captain. Forgive me, I had to take matters into my own hands, sir."

Did…did that work? Shuuhei didn't dare look up.

"Damn it," thought Kenpachi. One was unconscious and the other was just going to stay there not looking up. He couldn't attack someone not expecting it. A thought crossed him mind. Kuchiki. He wanted to fight him forever. He had to be around somewhere.

Shuuhei felt Captain Zaraki's presence retreating and breathed a sigh of relief. He picked up Kira's prone body and started walking towards squad four. He knew that when he woke up there would be no hard feelings between them, he would've wanted Kira to do the same to him in similar circumstances.

Captain Hitsugaya hated the heat. His whole squad avoided him whenever the temperature started creeping upward, and when it was record breaking heat like it was today they actually starting actively hiding from him. He had already spent an entire hour berating Rangiku. His lieutenant, used to his tempers, could usually just let the things he said roll of her back, but he had actually stopped when he saw that she was starting to tear up. He didn't even remember what he had said, it couldn't have been that bad, could it? Regardless, it was time for a break.

He felt gross, sticky and damp. Even his hair was limp, hanging around his shoulders instead of defying gravity like it usually did.

Toshiro was so concentrated on his misery that he practically ran into Kenpachi.

He looked up.

The big captain towered above him like some sort of freakish clown. Clown? Absolutely, thought Toshiro.

"HAHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAA!" he said, pointing at Kenpachi's neon pink spiked hair. "HAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHA!"

"Better get ready kid," said Kenpachi, drawing his zanpakatu.

All of a sudden, Toshiro had a really good idea. He grinned up at the maniac above him, and drew his own zanpakatu.

"Huh," thought Kenpachi happily, "I guess I didn't pay enough attention to the kid before, he actually has some decent fight in him."

Toshiro started running.

"What the…!" Cursing, Kenpachi chased after him. "You running away?"

"Of course not," scowled Toshiro over his shoulder. "I just thought we'd find a better place for it."

"Take a right up here," Kenpachi yelled ahead. "There's a squad eleven training ground at the end of that path." He usually wouldn't give a shit about where he fought, but he really didn't want to be interrupted in the middle of his fun by some squad two goons trying to keep the peace.

"Good place," agreed Toshiro when they got there. "I hope you're ready."

"Of course I'm…"

"Reign over the frosted heavens Hyorinmaru!"

Of course they attracted attention. First there was the intense battling spiritual pressures of two captains fighting, and then there was the fact that it was snowing on part of squad eleven. No one bothered them though. It wasn't until things seemed settled that Ikkaku and Yumichika carefully approached, followed by Rangiku and a curious Renji. No one had seen Yachiru yet, not that anyone blamed her for hiding for awhile.

They spotted the two captains collapsed, almost comfortable looking, on the frost covered ground.

"Mmm," sighed Kenpachi, leaning against a frozen tree. Finally, he wasn't so damn hot.

Toshiro smiled and ran his hand through a small pile of snow.

"So, Yachiru did that to you," he said, pointing at the garish pink of Kenpachi's hair.

"Yeah," Kenpachi sighed.

"Why did you still spike it? It makes you look like something from the carnival."

"Well, it's pink, and my hair is long. When it was down it just looked…" Kenpachi was looking for a word that wasn't "feminine".

"You know, she had to have bleached it first to get it so bright," Toshiro pointed out.

"Shit."

"My lieutenant dyes her hair all the time, she can probably figure something out for you," the little captain suggested.

Kenpachi looked sad, "Yeah but I'm pretty sure she did this to make me look more like her. I figured I should at least keep it a couple of days to make her happy." He didn't look excited about the prospect.

"Oh."

The was silence between the two.

"Holy shit, are the two of them actually talking?" said Renji, shocked.

"Shut up!" shushed Rangiku. They had stayed their distance when they had realized that neither captain looked seriously injured.

"Skullcap," said Toshiro suddenly.

"Skullcap?" questioned Kenpachi.

"Yeah, I've seen Ichigo wear one in the world of the living. It's piece of stretchy cloth that you pull down over your head, covering your ears and the back of your neck. You could wear one during the day and have your pink hair for Yachiru when you're at your quarters. At least for a couple of days."

Sounded like a plan to Kenpachi, he'd send Ikkaku to pick one up for him tonight.

"Hey, if it's hot tomorrow I'm gonna kick your ass again," he said.

"What? You think you kicked my ass?" said Toshiro.

"Oh yeah, well maybe I didn't do thoroughly enough!" Kenpachi jumped up.

"See, and that's why we stayed very far away," said Yumichika, as they ran from the sudden explosion of spiritual pressure between the two captains.