A/N: I like Rukia, but I dislike her new look (as of chapter 459). Well, I'll get used to it, it's just different I suppose. But I wrote a story on how/why her look might have changed, just to appease myself.

Aslo on a side note, if interested could you please take a moment to visit my bio and vote on my poll? It is an IchiHime poll so if you are not interested that is also fine, but I appreciate your input. Thanks for reading.

Rukia made the decision to cut her hair when she became a vice-captain. A change in her life was as good an opportunity as any to get a new look. Perhaps it would help people look at her more as herself rather than the little Kuchiki sister or the one who was set to be executed a couple years ago. Originally she'd planned to grow it out- maybe it would look more feminine. But then when Renji found out, he started mocking her that her hair would never be quite as glorious as his. She kicked him square in the face both because he dared to mock her and because she secretly thought he was right. So she decided to cut it instead; short hair was more practical in combat. For a while she thought her new hair was just fine. It hadn't turned out the way she wanted it to, but she convinced herself that she wasn't worried about things like that and it would grow back any way. She continued ignoring it until one day when she had to visit the fourth squad's area and almost every single person mistook her for Hanataro... mostly from the back but some even mistook her face to face. Luckily she was reserved enough not to take it out on them, but she was pissed.

From then on, when she passed reflective surfaces she secretly mourned the last vague hint of her femininity since she had no chest and practical hair and... well, practical everything, except for her height. She tried to convince herself that this was because she was a serious shinigami. It was for the best. But that bastard Renji must have somehow caught her mourning her new look. He approached her on one of the rare days that they both had off.

"Hi fukutaicho," Rukia said in a tone of mock-respect as he approached her.

"Hi fukutaicho," Renji mirrored as he sat ungracefully on the hill next to her.

"Don't you have anything better to do on your day off than bother me?" she asked, still staring straight ahead and not at him.

"Nope," he chimed, picking his teeth.

Rukia sighed. "You're the vice-captain under Nii-sama, Renji. You should be training or something."

Renji smiled and put on that cocky sideways grin, "Are you kidding, someone as magnificent as me needing to train?"

"Psh, I could kick your butt around the block," Rukia rolled her eyes and leaned back on her arms.

"Yeah, yeah," he waved her off.

The both sat in silence for a moment, but Renji couldn't keep still enough for it to be serene.

"So how's, uh..." Renji leaned back on his arms, trying to follow her example. "How's being the 13th squad's vice-captain?"

Rukia's face fell and she briefly toyed with the idea of admitting to him that she was tired. The work wasn't especially more difficult, it was just more plentiful. Much more plentiful. She might be able to tell him. They'd been friends for who knew how long. And he'd been a vice-captain for longer than her, he may have some tips.

She looked over at him and gave it a second thought. The last time they'd sincerely talked without a single joke or quip exchanged between them was when she'd cried to him about Orihime's apparent abduction by Aizen. And then before that during her rescue attempt over a year ago. And before that? Probably not since the academy, not since she'd been adopted. She remembered him telling her he was tired, then. She remembered telling him to keep raising his hand enthusiastically because she liked it. But things hadn't exactly been the same since. They were adults now, they had jobs and responsibilities. And in Renji's case, several more tattoos. And, she lamented as she watched his head roll back on his shoulders, longer hair.

No, she couldn't tell him she was tired. Things had changed too much and she was too proud.

"It's wonderful finally having a worthy responsibility," she responded dutifully. "I've never been happier."

Rukia thought she heard Renji muttering something about bullshit under his breath, but she decided to let it go.

"You don't always need to wear that arm band you know."

"I'm proud to wear it," she responded primly.

"Yeah, that and it keeps people from mistaking you with Hanataro."

Rukia glared and punched him hard in the arm, causing him to fall backwards. He sat up and rubbed his arm with a scowl.

"I don't! People can tell us apart!"

"Yeah, after you beat it into them."

"My haircut is very practical. Not like your ragged mop top."

"Ooh, so jealous." Renji mockingly pulled his hair tie out.

"Not even a little," she said, lying.

"Oh, speaking of hair..." Renji trailed off. It looked as if he might have been blushing, but with his hair down it was hard to tell one mess of red from another. He dug around in a pouch at his side.

"I was out in Soul Society the other day and I passed this merchant's stand, and I thought you might like these Chappy-"

"Chappy!" She lunged at the supposed gift, practically bowling him over. "What'd you get me?" She excitedly pulled at his hand but couldn't pry it open.

He laughed. "Here." He dropped a couple of small objects into her palm. Two adorable beady bunny heads stared up at her.

"What are they?"

"Hair ties, I think that's what the woman said anyway."

Rukia stared at them. Chappy!

"Do you like them?" He seemed apprehensive.

"Yes," she nodded solemnly, "You're out of trouble. For now."

"Good." He laughed. "You bunny freak, I knew you'd like them."

Rukia glared but was trying too hard to fasten them in her hair for it to have much effect.

"Here." He snatched one away from her. She immediately moved to get it back but he held it above her reach.

"Renji!" she looked over at him, eyes fuming, "Are they for me or aren't they, moro-"

Renji reached out and grabbed a lock of her hair. If he was trying to hurt her with hair pulling, he was failing. It didn't hurt, it was just awkward.

"What are you doi-"

She felt him twist her hair and heard a snap. Oh.

"Thanks," she said gruffly.

"Here," he said, "give me the other one." She hesitantly did so and turned her head for him to put it in as well.

"There ya go."

She felt the sides of her hair eagerly. They puckered up where the smooth bunny clips were placed. She couldn't wait for a mirror.

"I'm going to look at them!" she said, every inch of her determined. She got up and began to jog off.

"Oi, don't I even get a thank you?" Renji called out after her.

"Yeah, yeah!" she said, waving behind her.

People kept stopping Rukia to talk to her on her way back. Perhaps it was because she looked more approachable than usual, what with the big smile on her face. It seemed she'd never be able to to get back to her room. In the end she couldn't wait any longer and rushed into a public bath in her section.

She gaped at the mirror. So shiny! So glorious! Those little eyes! The nose! It was perfection if she'd ever seen it. She leaned closer to the mirror to admire herself. She barely heard the people entering.

"... usually looks so serious but did you see her? Her smile looked positively psycho today. She's unapproachable either way. And what were they, bunnies?"

Another female voice chuckled. "Yeah seriously. I know it's supposed to be Chappy, but what shinigami would actually wear something like that? What is she, five?"

Rukia had slowly tuned in to their conversation and came to a realization... were they talking about her?

"How'd a socially awkward, bunny loving freak get to be vice-captain any way?"

"Probably her brother's influence."

Rukia slowly lowered her eyes from her hair to her face. This was happening again, even after she'd been part of the squad for years? Even after she'd become vice-captain? But... it hadn't happened in so long...

She slowly removed her new hair ties and tucked them in her pocket. She molded her face into an icy expression and kept it there. She quickly left the bath house, sending the gossipy girls a curt nod and nothing else as she startled them and they tried to formally greet her.

Rukia reached her quarters feeling stupid. She was a vice-captain. Of course she couldn't wear something like Chappy hair ties! She briefly thought about giving them to someone they'd look more appropriate on, like maybe Yachiru, but she eventually turned her nose up at the idea. Just because she couldn't wear them didn't mean she couldn't keep them. After all, they were a gift from a friend, right? Even if people in her squad were treating her badly again, at least they could represent the fact that Renji had thought about her, idiot though he was. She hastily fastened them around her bed post and flopped back onto her bed.

Still, it's better to have them respect me than mock me. So looking serious really is best after all. Who cares if I end up looking like a guy? Rukia slowly drifted off to sleep, bothered by the fact that she was bothered by it.

The next day, the vice captains were all called into a meeting. The topic seemed relatively meaningless, but duty was duty. Rukia was glad for an excuse to get out of the 13th section, so she was the first one there. To her surprise, Matsumoto showed up next.

"Hel-lo, Rukia!" the bouncy blonde greeted fondly.

"Oh, hello. You got here quickly."

"Not as fast as you. Personally, I'm here so quickly because I'm dodging paperwork."

Rukia cracked a smile.

"Learn from me honey," Matsumoto winked. She sat next to Rukia and tilted her chair back.

"You cut your hair."

"Oh..." Rukia shifted uncomfortably, "Yes... I did."

"A change is always nice," Matsumoto said kindly. "I sometimes think about cutting my hair. A messy sort of bob, maybe? What do you think?" The woman pulled her hair up and postured.

"That's what I was going for," Rukia replied. What she was going for, not what she had gotten.

"I like your hair the way it is," Rukia said attempting to eye her comrade's hair critically. She wasn't good at this kind of thing. Thankfully there was a noise at the door. Both women looked up. It was Renji.

"Ah. Speaking of good hair," Matsumoto laughed.

Renji smiled one of his canine smiles and waved.

"Hey Rukia, Matsumoto." His face fell when he looked at Rukia. "Oi, where's those hair ties I bought you?"

"I can't wear them around," Rukia raised an eyebrow, "I'm not a child."

Renji fell into the seat next to her.

"You don't like Chappy anymore?"

"I still do!"

"Then wear them dammit! I went out of my way for those!"

"No one told you to! And you don't get to decide what I wear anyway, moron!"

Matsumoto watched the argument unfold with interest and a small smile. It went from a friendly greeting to a tease fest in seconds. But it seemed to be in good fun. That is, until Renji basically called Rukia a tomboy. He'd meant it like he'd meant the rest of the argument, just teasing and not a big deal. But Rukia seemed bothered by it. She responded confidently to him, but then turned away. Matsumoto's smile changed from an amused one to a genuine one. She sounded confident, but she didn't look it.

"Rukia," Matsumoto chirped, putting her hand enthusiastically around the smaller shinigami's arm, "come by my place after the meeting ok?"

Rukia was startled at the sudden request but managed to nod as the other vice-captains slowly filed in.

"Oh my, I'm sorry it's a mess," Matsumoto said flinging things out of yet another trunk. "I wasn't expecting company."

"That's alright," Rukia said dodging a flying scarf. She hadn't ever really spent one on one time with Matsumoto before. But the woman seemed to naturally get along with people, and although she acted frivolous and as if she shirked her duty, Rukia knew she was one of the hardest working vice-captains there was.

"So, uh..." Rukia continued dodging articles of clothing uncomfortably, "what did you need Matsu-"

"I found them!" Matsumoto sprang up in triumph. "I'm glad you made vice-captain." Matsumoto continued to chatter while piling a few things back in her trunks before finally just giving up and shutting them in a mess once more.

"It's nice to get another lady on the team." Matsumoto turned to Rukia and smiled brightly. "We have to be tough as shinigami, of course, but as ladies we need to make sure we can be tough and feminine as well."

"Oh," Rukia paused uncomfortably, "I'm not very..."

"You might think you're not feminine," Matsumoto said taking one of Rukia's hands in hers, "but you're wrong."

"Well, but I-"

"You're plenty girly," the woman continued, unfolding something crisp and white. "Here, I bought these years ago but they're just too small for my arms."

"What are-"

"Here now, hold out your arms. There, how lovely!"

Matsumoto rolled Rukia's sleeves up briskly and slipped a pair of elegant, white, long, fingerless gloves up her arms. They were fingerless so using a sword would still be easy. But they felt smooth against her skin.

"Uh, they're nice, I-"

"They're yours," Matsumoto said clasping her hands together and smiling.

"Oh no, I couldn't."

"Here, let's take a look."

Matsumoto spun Rukia around to face a mirror.

"See? Lovely."

Rukia had to admit, she liked them. She still looked like a vice-captain, but she didn't look like a guy.

"Moving to a vice-captain position can be hard at first, since there's so much to do. But you find ways to deal with it." Matsumoto patted Rukia on the back and studied her own figure in the mirror. "And people to help you," she finished with a secret smile. In some cases red-haired, tattooed people.

"They don't look weird? Rukia flexed her hands awkwardly.

Matsumoto chuckled and shook her head. Rukia only frowned.

"And you're sure I can keep them? Let me pay you."

Matsumoto smacked Rukia on the back, Rukia's eyes widened in surprise and she awkwardly smiled.

"Oh please," Matsumoto rolled her eyes. "Come on, we're companions now. Two peas in a pod. I know we've talked a little before but let's be friends."

Rukia looked up at the woman. Matsumoto had always been nice, always helped them even if she wasn't directly caught up in the situation right off the bat like they were. She was a good person.

"Thanks," Rukia smiled, "let's."

Rukia continued to wear the gloves but was still unsure if she really liked them or not. At least they reminded her that she wasn't alone.

"Oi Rukia."

Rukia spun around in her chair to see Renji entering her office.

"You may have the day off, Renji, but I don't," she said dryly.

"I know." He adjusted his headband. "Thought I'd come help you out with my extremely awesome vice-captaining skills."

"You're an idiot," she replied, but she was smiling.

Renji twirled the chair next to her around and sat in it backwards.

"So ok- hey, your desk is really organized!"

"Naturally," Rukia said straightening a pile of folders which actually contained her various drawings.

"Oh hey, new gloves," Renji said, grabbing a form from her. It had taken him long enough to notice. "I like them," he finished before grabbing a quill and diving into the form in front of him on the table.

He is an idiot, Rukia thought. But she was happy.