Most people don't really look at Ichimaru's smile. It scares them.

Of everything about Ichimaru, his overly polite demeanor, his slightly sadistic predisposition, it is the smile that terrifies them the most.

It is the smile that radiates confidence, inviting passersby into the fox's den for dinner, while simultaneously warning them to flee for their lives before the predator inevitably attacks.

Kira looks. After years he can see the slight change that means everything in the world.

He can tell the difference between the smile meant for the outside world, and the Gin's real smile, the one he rarely shows to anyone, the smile that shows his uncertain perfect frailty.

Kira thinks it's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen.

He sees it, every few days, when Gin comes into the office late that morning, stopping only to praise his Izuru-kun for completing the paperwork and being the good little lieutenant he is before slipping back out the door.

He sees it when Gin looks at Captain Aizen as they pass in the corridors, and when Aizen stops to speak with them, just two captains and their lieutenants exchanging pleasantries.

Momo can see it, he can tell just by looking at her, and as their captains talk above them, they look at each other and understand.

Kira hates that smile, because he knows it will never be his.

Yay! Just my first little Aizen/Gin drabble written during a break between one of my longer stories!

Reviews much appreciated, I love this pairing, and feel a little sorry for Momo and Kira, so I wrote this.