"Hey Red!" called my friend, teasingly, walking up to wrap an arm around my shoulders. I chuckled and wrapped mine around his waist.

This man was called Raphiel Demenez, or as I called him, Kit. He was gorgeous, even by gay standards. He had short, naturally spiked hair. It was black, though it had a blue tint in the right light. His eyes were a gorgeous royal blue and his skin was always darkly tanned. He did so love the outdoors, didn't matter what time of year. He was built, every inch of him carved with sculpted muscle. He was tall, almost six foot.

Me? My name was Akalia Sapphirano. My hair was waist-length and a dark, deep red. At times, it almost looked black. My figure was athletic, thanks to Kit. He was always convincing me to go to the gym or the park or for long hikes. I had a generous bust, about a Double-D, and my hips were blessed. I stood at 5 feet, 5 inches. Kit loved towering over me. My skin was tan, but not nearly as dark as his. However, it was my eyes that gave me my nickname. My eyes were red. A dark, deep color, almost flowing like dark red wine.

"What's got you in a good mood?" I teased, grinning up at him. He grinned back.

"Last day in this damned academy, that's what!" he replied, releasing me to run forward with his fists in the air, yelling like a madman. "FREEDOM!"

I laughed, along with several other classmates.

"Oof!"

I laughed harder as he fell back on his ass, nursing his new bloody nose.

"Pole jump out and getcha?" I teased, making him flush and shoot me a playfully dirty look before glaring at the offending obstruction in his path.

It was not the first time Kit had run into that EXACT same pole. I swear he forgot about it at least twice a day. Still giggling, I went over and picked him up, reaching up to heal his nose… again.

"Damn thing has it out for me, I swear!" he grumbled. "Has my dearest Red chosen a squad yet?"

"Yeah, like any squad's gonna want that freak!" shot out one of our classmates. Kit glared at her, all jovial mood gone. I said nothing… mainly because I knew she was mostly right. I'd only had one squad invitation… and it was only due to my high performance in my classes.

Squad Six Captain Kuchiki had sent an acceptance letter to me. I had been grateful, but I knew I'd almost never get to see Kit now. Kit had been invited to squads two, seven, nine, eleven, and thirteen. He hadn't decided yet which one he was going to join, though he had sent out a request to join squad six with me. We were waiting on the reply. From what I understood, the requests were handled by Kouga Kuchiki, the third-seat and son-in-law of the Captain… and he only accepted the best.

Kouga Kuchiki. I'd only met him thrice. He had quite the reputation, especially his zanpakuto. Muramasa was legendary, a name to be whispered in the dark of night like a bad memory. Me? I'd been nursing a crush on Kouga since his first visit… and Muramasa since he first manifested on Kouga's second visit. On that particular visit, the secret I'd been hiding about my zanpakuto had been revealed, my spirit having been manifested by Muramasa during a training duel. I'd been grateful that only my Shikai had been revealed at that time, glad my zanpakuto had enough sense not to reveal all of our secrets at once.

Durnehviir was nearly beaten that day, but I just couldn't run him through to end the match. When Kouga had inquired as to why I hesitated to dominate my weapon, I had told him the absolute truth. Without Durnehviir, I could not claim to be a Soul Reaper. Durnehviir was my friend, my family, my partner, and part of myself. Just as I could never strike him down, he could not bring himself to give me the finishing blow, either. Muramasa, though he'd said nothing, had given us a very strange expression, like something about us puzzled him. Kouga told me that to treat my weapon as a person was to become dependent upon it… and with such an understanding, I would never achieve true power as a Soul Reaper, that I would never achieve Bankai.

Neither Durnehviir nor I bothered to tell him we already had, though the look in Muramasa's eyes told me he knew. It was shortly after that visit… that I had received my acceptance letter to Squad Six. I knew right away that had been Muramasa's doing, not Kouga's.

I would go for my placement duel in the morning, but tonight, I was getting my graduation party, courtesy of Kit and a few his friends. I say his friends… because they were not mine. The only friend I could count as my own was him.

"You're thinking awful hard again," he teased. "About a certain third seat?"

I blushed and shoved him, looking away.

"No!" I denied immediately, my voice coming out louder than I'd intended, making him laugh.

"Admit it!" he teased, then began to sing mockingly. "You think he's gorgeous! You want to date him! Make love and marry—mmph!"

My face so red I wasn't sure if I could die yet, I shoved my glove in his mouth, gagging him. Seconds later, he laughed, uproariously as I tried to walk away from him quickly.

"Hold on! Wait up! C'mon Red! I'm sure Kuchiki isn't ahead of us so you can slow down!"

"KIT!"

My mortified yell of course only made him laugh harder as he raced after me.

The next morning, Kit and I both reported to the training grounds of Squad Six… and had both dueled the third seat, Kouga. I had come so close to beating him again, but he pulled a last-minute kido on me that knocked me to the ground for good, making me curse lowly at the force behind it, making Kouga quirk a brow and the Captain give me a scolding look, both looks making me blush and look away.

"Rankings will be posted in the morning," the Captain stated.

"Gods, I'm so glad they let you in," I told Kit, looking over the other classmates. Quite a few of them were people that had made fun of me a lot for my eyes. He grinned and wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

"Like I'd let you go anywhere without me," he teased. I growled with a low blush and slapped his chest hard. "Ow…"

His fake-wince made a few older members chuckle.

"Miss Sapphirano?"

I turned back around.

"Third seat?" I inquired softly, surprised he was taking time to talk to me at all.

"That was a well-fought duel," he told me. "But you may want to increase your Hakuda. Your physical strength is lacking quite a bit for field work."

I nodded and smiled.

"Will do, sir," I said, then started to leave with Kit again.

"And Miss Sapphirano?"

I looked back at him once more.

"It's just Kouga, not sir," he told me. Now I grinned.

"By your orders," I teased, my grin growing as he smiled, taking it good-naturedly. "Then I insist you call me Akalia, not Miss Sapphirano."

He nodded and then let us leave.

"All right, Red," Kit said, throwing his arm around my shoulders again. "Where shall we head?"

"Dunno," I answered. "Might try to find the barracks."

He nodded and we headed off, following the crudely drawn map we were given at initiation. All of us that had just graduated would be sleeping in the same quarters, unless someone became a seated officer. Seated officers had their own rooms elsewhere, still in dorm-form, but the captains and lieutenants had their own buildings. They were like miniature houses, complete with their own baths, kitchens, and living space.

"This is it!" Kit said finally, standing in the room where some of our classmates stood. I'd noted that there was but a single bunk left open, seeing as to how this squad had accepted more members than it had room for again. Fortunately, it was a bottom bunk.

"Guess we're sharing a bunk," I stated, tossing my things onto it right next to Kit's. He grinned at me.

"Don't steal all the covers," he teased. I grinned back.

"Don't hog the bed," I shot back. He laughed as we slowly unpacked, taking our shared dresser. After unpacking (joking and laughing the whole time), we left the barracks.

"—and I was like, I know, right?" I was saying, laughing with Kit. "And then she said—oof!"

It was like hitting a brick wall, making me stumble back a few steps, letting Kit catch my shoulders to steady me.

"Who the bloody hell put a wall there?" I snapped, rubbing my nose and forehead. I heard Kit snickering and flushed dark red, realizing I had NOT just hit a wall. Warily, I opened my eyes and my blush got darker as my mortification grew.

"Kouga!" I said, surprised. "Sorry, I didn't see you!"

"I noticed," was his calm reply. "Though I'm sure I'm not a wall."

My blush got darker and I looked away from his amused features.

"It was brought to my attention that we had more people than beds," he explained.

"Ah, we're used to that," I told him, waving dismissively. "Isn't the first time we've shared living quarters… I usually end up in his bed anyway, be it for warmth or comfort."

At Kouga's amused yet appalled expression, I blushed darker than before and Kit laughed at my expense.

"NOT LIKE THAT!"

My voice echoed off the walls in my embarrassment, only serving to embarrass me further as other squad members glanced over at us.

"Oh god… just shoot me now," I groaned, hiding my face in my hands. Kit was full on laughing now. Kouga took a few moments to recover, though I noted a light blush on his own cheeks.

"As I was saying," he pressed on, clearing his throat to try and recover some form of control. "As we are short on a bed, the captain has ordered that the two of you sleep in the empty quarters reserved for the next set of graduates, three doors down on your left."

"Thanks, that would be great," I managed to get out, still openly mortified. Then paused. "Kouga?"

He stopped walking and looked back at me.

"What can a body do around here for fun?" I asked. He smiled.

"Well, there's the local tavern that most Soul Reapers frequent on their off hours," he suggested, but went on at my less-than-enthused look. "Some train in off-hours… And if neither of those suits you, you can head down to the market and look around."

He started chuckling.

"Guessing from your expression, those do not appeal to you," he stated.

"Less people, more peaceful," I stated. That made him grin.

"Then you want either the archives or Sokyoku Hill," he answered.

"Isn't that the execution grounds?" I asked. He nodded.

"It's also the best-known make-out spot in the Seireitei," he revealed, making me blush bright red and Kit roar in laughter.

"Why the hell would I go to make-out-hill?!" I objected immediately, partially embarrassed and partially insulted. Kouga was surprised for a moment, then relaxed with an apologetic smile.

"Oh, forgive me," he said, putting both hands up in surrender. "I made an untrue assumption, I believe."

My jaw dropped, realizing what he meant.

"Y-you thought Kit and I—OH MY GOD!"

My voice echoed again as I continued to alternate between "ewww" and "no, no, no, no, no" and "gods no" as I paced back and forth, shaking my head fervently. That only served to make Kit laugh even harder and Kouga blush as I was drawing unnecessary attention. Finally, I stopped and turned to Kit, looking completely devastated.

"Is that what people think of us, of me?" I asked, my voice on the verge of hysterical.

"What's going on over here?"

A lazy voice only served to make Kouga blush darker, a look of true embarrassment on his features and Kit started laughing even harder.

"Captain Hirako," he greeted. "Apologies."

The new guy was a Captain? I was about to be embarrassed, but I saw Sosuke Aizen behind him and immediately darted over, grabbing his arm.

"Do people really think Kit and I are dating?!" I demanded, horrified at the very idea. Sosuke started to laugh.

"Is that what all this fuss is about?" he asked, amused. I growled and gripped his arms with my hands, shaking him.

"Not the time for jokes!" I snapped. "Is. *shake* That. *shake* What. *shake* People. *shake* Think. *shake*"

Sosuke put his hands on my shoulders, to hold himself steady, a warm smile on his face.

"So what if they do?" he asked me. "If we know it's not true, does it matter what they think?"

"YES!" I said immediately, gripping my hair as if to pull it out. I'd forgotten how annoyingly thick-headed this guy was. "If they think WE'RE dating, guys will think I'm taken and then I'll NEVER get a real date with a gorgeous hottie and I'll end up an old hag with um-teen cats that knits sweaters and eats more cat food than real food and—WHAT THE HELL IS SO FUNNY?!"

Sosuke, Kit, Captain Hirako, and Kouga were ALL laughing at me now. Kit was hanging onto the wall, hunched over. Kouga and Captain Hirako were leaning on each other, trying to stay upright. Sosuke was trying to hide his laughter. I blushed darkly while my irritation grew.

"You guys are terrible!" I grumbled, crossing my arms and pouting, which only served to make them laugh all the louder.

"Oh Red," Kit wheezed. "You're always good for a laugh! Hahaha!"

I was well past red at this point.

"I really need to get a new reputation," I stated, starting to think. "Now… how to do that… Kit… I really need more friends…"

He laughed again.

"You? Make friends?"

I punched his shoulder for his teasing, making him grin and rub his OTHER shoulder.

"Ow!" he teased, making me punch his gut this time. While he still laughed, he doubled-over.

"It could happen!" I defended myself.

"With your violent tendencies… they'll all be from the eleventh division," Kit teased, getting hit again. "See what I mean?"

He was still laughing, so I knew he was joking.

"Well, there is the festival tomorrow night," suggested Kouga. My attention perked.

"Festival?" I repeated.

"It's complete with a masquerade ball, put on by the Women's Association," Sosuke put in. I began to pace as I thought about it, thinking aloud.

"That could be effective… but I hate crowds, hell, people in general… and I'd have to get all dressed up and find a mask in time and—"

"If you need a gown and mask, I'm sure my wife could help you shop for one," Kouga offered. "She's going shopping later on with Captain Yoruichi Shihoin. I'm sure they wouldn't have a problem bringing you along."

I turned to him, my face all sparkles and glowing as I clasped my hands in front of me, making him take a step back in surprise.

"Would you?!" I asked. "That would be awesome!"

"I'll ask her right away," he told me, quickly walking away.

"Kouga, you're the best third seat ever!" I said, jumping up and down in excitement, hugging Kit in my excitement, making him laugh and jump around with me. Sosuke and his captain were shaking their heads. I paused and looked over at Sosuke.

"Speaking of which, I'll need a date for that dance," I stated, snagging his arm. "Can I take you this time? Please!"

I gave him the best puppy-dog face I could and he chuckled.

"Yes, I can go with you," he told me.

"Sweetness!" I cheered, hugging him, before turning and dragging Kit off into the Seireitei. "Now we just gotta get YOU a date, Kit, my sweet!"

Kit laughed, knowing as well as I did that he had his own fan-club. It wouldn't be hard for him to get a date.

I was a raw ball of nerves as I approached the rankings. I was crazy nervous.

"I can't do this," I whispered suddenly and turned around to run.

WHAM!

I stumbled back in surprise, holding my nose and head.

"THRICE DAMNED WALLS!"

Immediately, laughter rang all around me, making me blush darkly.

"Please tell me I didn't," I whimpered, getting chuckles from the person in front of me. Now fully mortified, I opened my eyes to see Kouga laughing at me again.

"Kouga," I said sheepishly, then recovered with a grin. "We REALLY need to stop meeting like this."

He chuckled.

"RED!" Kit cried, scooping me up into a great big hug, making me yelp and hang on for dear life as he spun my flimsy body around. "YOU DID IT!"

I punched him in the gut and he dropped me.

"THAT WAS MY EAR!"

"YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO HIT ME!"

"LIKE HELL I DIDN'T! I CAN'T HEAR NOW, YOU JERK!"

Someone cleared their throat and I was reminded that Kouga was still standing here. I blushed darkly and scratched the back of my head.

"Um… hehe… Sorry," I said sheepishly, making him snicker again.

"I'm going to assume that I should get used to more of these episodes with you two around," he teased, making my blush darken. Kit wrapped his arm around my shoulders, leaning on me exaggeratedly, making my knees buckle.

"Somebody's gotta keep the funny around here," he answered with a grin, then looked at me. "You got sixth seat."

"Huh?"

I swear my brain went dead.

"Sixth seat," Kit repeated, a grin making its way onto his face. "The rankings, remember? The ones you were about to cop out from seeing when you ran into our third seat again."

That computed as I blushed darkly.

"I was not going to cop out," I denied. "I was… just waiting for the crowd to thin out."

Kit laughed.

"If that's your story," he teased, making me narrow my eyes at him and stick my tongue out. He grinned and waved his finger at me.

"Now don't go putting that out there unless you intend to use it," he teased. Blushing dark red, I hit him in the gut, making him wheeze as I stomped away, my fists at my side in my embarrassment, muttering the whole way about my rather irritating best friend.

"And you're muttering again," Sosuke stated, coming out of the middle of nowhere. I jumped clean out of my skin with a high-pitched yelp. I whirled to face him with a glare, my hands on my hips.

"What are you trying to do?" I scolded. "Put me into cardiac arrest?"

He chuckled and gave me a few minutes.

"What time did you want me to come get you tonight, for the festival?" he asked. I smiled softly.

"Five-thirty sound okay?" I asked. He nodded. "Great! Best wing-man ever!"

"Wing man?" repeated Sosuke, quirking a brow. "Not as your date?"

I blushed.

"Did you want it to be a real date and not just a pity date for a girl with no friends?" I asked. Again, I'd managed to surprise him.

"You thought it was a pity date?" he asked. I nodded, blushing a bit darker… then I looked away from him, feeling my shame welling up.

"Sorry," I said, running my fingers through my hair. "That's just what… well… what most of my dates are."

He sighed with a smile.

"Akalia, how long have we known each other?" he asked.

"About seven years," I answered immediately. "Not that I'm counting."

He just smiled warmly.

"Do you really think someone that's known you that long would take you out on a pity date?" he asked me. Immediately, I had an answer.

"Micah's known me for twenty and he gave me a pity date," I stated, playing with my hair, not able to look Sosuke in the eyes. Sosuke sighed again.

"I think we can both agree that Micah is shallow and foolish," he commented. "Akalia, this is NOT a pity date. I hope by the end of tonight that you will know the difference between the two."

Then he took my hand and kissed the back of it before taking his leave.

"Until five-thirty," he said, as he walked away.

I stood there for a few minutes, just blushing darkly and remembering those velvet lips on my hand.

"Gah!" I said, snapping out of it, slapping myself. "Don't go turning into one of those hopeless romantics, Akalia! Don't you do it!"

"Don't do what?" Kit asked, making me jump again.

"GODS BLESS IT! STOP SCARING ME LIKE THAT! WOULD IT KILL YOU GUYS TO MAKE A LITTLE NOISE, TO ANNOUNCE YOUR PRESENCE BEFORE SCARING THE HELL OUTTA SOMEBODY?!"

Kit just laughed, irritating me all the more.