Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, because I'm not Kubo-sensei. The bleach I own keeps my whites white.

"Yachiru!" Zaraki Kenpachi barked.

"What's up, Ken-chan?" The 20-year-old looked up from the couch, her pink bangs falling into her eyes.

Even though he was approaching what one called "old age," Zaraki was just as big and heavily muscled as he was at the prime of his youth. He glared down at his daughter. "Ukitake told me ya lost another partner. Ain't that the third one this year?"

She shrugged innocently. "What can I say? Like father, like daughter."

Zaraki glared while Shiba Kuukaku guffawed loudly from the doorway. "Oy, Kenpachi, she's right you know," she finally managed. "It isn't her fault that those pansies couldn't keep up with her."

Yachiru beamed at her stepmother. "I knew I liked you, Kuu-chan!" She glanced at her watch. "Oops, it's time to pick up Kaien!"

"Well, when ya get yer brother to the studio, go find Ukitake," her father said. "He said he got ya a new partner."

"Try not to break him Yachiru!" Kuukaku called.

"I won't!"

Kuukaku glanced up at her husband. "So Kenpachi, we have the house all to ourselves for once," she drawled, tracing a finger down his arm. "What do you suppose we do?"

Zaraki snorted, sweeping her into his arms. "Onna, ya even gotta ask?"

"All right Kaien, go up to your dance class now. I'll be with Uki-chan and my new partner when you're done."

Six-year-old Shiba Kaien grinned up at his stepsister. "Got it, Pinky-chan!" He stuck his tongue out at her playfully as he raced up the stairs.

"Cheeky brat," Yachiru chuckled. "He gets more like me every day."

"Ah, there you are Yachiru-chan," Ukitake Jyuushiro said, walking into the lobby.

"Uki-chan, what's up with you ratting me out to Ken-chan?" She mock-pouted. "He almost scolded me."

Ukitake's lips twitched. "Did he now? I apologize. Now, come with me. I have a new partner for you, and I believe you'll get along just fine."

"Uki-chan, you said that last time!" she teased, following the man she thought of as a beloved uncle.

"Well, I actually believe it this time." He opened the door to one of the studios. "Wonderwice-kun isn't like the other men you've danced with."

"Wonderwice? As in Wonderwice Margera?" Yachiru raised her eyebrow. "Uki-chan, are you sure about this?" She'd heard of the man and his…odd nature. Just because he was odd didn't mean that they would be compatible: she knew that from experience.

Ukitake glanced at the silent young man sitting on the window seat on the far side of the room. "Aizen has only the highest praise for him. Apparently Tousen Kaname – Hisagi-kun's teacher from America – taught him himself. However, he transferred to Todai and is starting at term, so I've been asked to further supervise him." He sighed. "You need a partner, Yachiru-chan. How else are you going to get to Blackpool?"

"No worries, Uki-chan. I'll treat him with kid gloves." She winked at him broadly and waved him away. "Now shoo, and let me get acquainted with him." The petite woman skipped over to the window seat and stuck out her hand. "Hey there, new guy. I'm Kusajishi Yachiru."

The man in the window didn't say anything, only raising his left hand in a half-hearted wave. His gaze never left the window.

Yachiru raised an eyebrow, tilting her head to the side playfully. "Playing the silent card, huh? Well, Wonderwice Margera, let me tell you that silence doesn't work with me." Even Bya-kun and Shiro-chan knew better than to ignore her completely. "Hmmm," she muttered. "I wonder if his Japanese isn't good." She wasn't sure what Uki-chan meant, if Tousen had taught him in Osaka or if Wonderwice was from America.

"Oy." She decided to be annoying and waved a hand in his face. "Don't you ever talk?" she asked in English.

Wonderwice finally turned to face her, getting to his feet. He was tall and lean, towering over her by at least a foot, maybe more. Cornsilk hair fell into eyes that were a vivid purple, startling against a face as pale as his. Freckles were scattered endearingly over high cheekbones. For a moment, Yachiru was struck dumb. She'd grown up around gorgeous men – Uki-chan and Yumi-kun came to mind – so she thought herself rather immune to male beauty. But this man was incredibly handsome in a quiet, poetic way.

He looked down at her and smiled, offering a hand. "You want to dance?" Yachiru asked, bewildered. He nodded. "Fine. That's what we're here for, isn't it? Cha-cha," she said, making the executive decision. "Go."

The cha-cha was her dance. It suited her to a T: cheeky, lively, and flirtatious. One of the reasons she went through so many partners was because they simply could not keep up with her on this dance. She always gave 110% when she danced, but when it came to the cha-cha everything went up a notch. It was always obvious if one partner was lacking in the cha-cha since the dancers' moves were synchronized more than in other dances, with the partners working parallel to each other.

But from the very first one-two-cha-cha-cha to the last New Yorker, Wonderwice not only managed to keep up with her, but also danced with her. It was so surprising to follow someone who could actually lead.

And beneath that silent façade was a dance machine. Yachiru had never been more impressed with someone in her short life. She came up from the final pose breathless and stunned. "Well, aren't you the surprise…Silent-chan?" She tilted her head, the corners of her lips curling upwards. "Welcome to 8/13."

Wonderwice stuck his hands in his pockets and returned her smile.

Yachiru's excitement dimmed somewhat over the next few weeks when she realized that she really could not get her partner to talk. At all. "How the hell are we supposed to train – seriously – if you don't say anything, Silent-chan?" she yelled, stomping her foot in frustration. "I just want to know if we need to close or open on this move and I'd appreciate a verbal response!"

He never asked questions or gave her direction. Normally, she would have been all right with that kind of thing because she took criticism rather poorly, but it was unnerving to only hear her voice filling the silence. If he wanted to correct her, he simply molded her body to the right form or made her repeat the movement until he was satisfied. And he never seemed to get mad. It was weird.

The blond frowned at her and shook his head, putting a firm hand on her waist. He raised an eyebrow; a signal she'd learned meant "Again."

"No."

He tilted his head to the side. Awareness flickered in those bright lavender eyes. He knew exactly what she was doing. She wanted to provoke him into speech. Wonderwice smiled inwardly. His rosy-haired partner was in for disappointment, for his patience was quite long. He raised his eyebrow again.

"I said no." She blew her bangs out of her eyes. "Honestly, Silent-chan, I have no idea what to do with you. I know you're not dumb or anything, since you go to Todai. Uki-chan would have told me if you couldn't speak…but what am I saying, you have as much of a reputation as I do, albeit for a different reason. I mean…"

He glanced down at her, a faint line appearing between his brows as she rambled on about her annoyance with his taciturnity. If anything, he was the one who was supposed to be at ends with her. She was so perky and effervescent, fae in both appearance and manner. It was no wonder that the cha-cha suited her so well.

Yachiru was a woman of a thousand words and he a man of few. At school he let his grades do the talking and on the dance floor he let his body do the same. Words were unnecessary, in his opinion – there was so little one could actually say with them. He thought it was easier to get to know someone by what they didn't say. To that end, his partner should have been an enigma since she never seemed to actually pause for a breath. Should have being the key phrase.

The petite woman stopped her tirade, noticing the amused twinkle in his eyes. "What?"

Now, Wonderwice was not the proactive sort of person. He often preferred to let the puzzle pieces fall where they may and only after intense internal debate did he actually do something. However, certain circumstances - like the present one – left him no choice. Otherwise, his partner was liable to stomp all over him. He was generally passive, yes, but he was no doormat.

So he shot her the sternest look possible and pushed her into a powerful and authoritative paso doble. The paso doble was the ballroom dance that, above all else, displayed the power of the man as the matador. For once, the woman played the secondary role.

When they stopped, he was holding her in a lunge in front of him, his hands gripping her elbows to keep her upright. He barely gave her time to breathe before he launched into the cha-cha. This time, it was executed perfectly because she could not help but do everything he told her to do.

Yachiru was so stunned by her partner's reaction that she found herself helplessly following him. No, that wasn't right. She wasn't just following – she was completely at his mercy. Gone was the docile partner of the past few weeks. In his place was a fierce leader who commanded complete dominion on the dance floor. It was equal parts disconcerting and electrifying.

Finally, he released her. "You put too much stock in words, Yachiru-chan," he said gently. His voice was light, like the fluttering of a butterfly's wings. "Enjoy the silence every once in a while. You never know what you might hear."

She was frozen in shock for a moment. "You-you talked!" she burst out. He just smiled, waved, and left.

"And introducing couple #11, Wonderwice Margera and Kusajishi Yachiru!"

Zaraki watched with a critical eye as his daughter and her new partner were introduced. "Ya sure about this, Ukitake?" he asked. "Ain't it a bit too soon fer them to be competin'?"

" Wonderwice-kun and Yachiru-chan both told me that they were ready," the older man replied. "At this age, I'm inclined to believe them when they say that they are ready."

"Yeah, what are you bellyaching about, Kenpachi?" Kuukaku snorted. "You're acting like you don't trust her."

Zaraki just made a sound of disgust. "I don't want a repeat of Nationals last year, do you?"

Kuukaku shuddered. They were lucky that the judges hadn't called the police. It was only Ukitake's influence that had stopped that from happening. "Point taken."

"Ladies and gentlemen, the cha-cha-cha!"

The music started and Yachiru and Wonderwice exploded. They drew every eye in the audience, including the judges', leaving the other dancers in their dust. They sparkled with flash and light, mesmerizing in the perfection and synchronicity of their moves. Of course, since it was Yachiru who had done most of the choreography, the moves were not always strictly ballroom. She enjoyed putting in crowd-pleasing elements, such as the shimmy that opened the dance and the body roll she put in the middle.

But she didn't care. She'd grown up with the 8/13 mentality that dancing was fun. She wasn't going to stick to a boring routine just because it pleased the judges, hell no. Pink curls bounced around her head as Wonderwice mirrored her perfectly.

"He can keep up with her," Ukitake marveled as they went through the time steps.

"It's more than that," Kuukaku said, leaning forward. "She's actually letting him lead. How the hell did he manage that?"

"She's found her match," Unohana murmured from her husband's other side, hiding a smile as Wonderwice spun Yachiru back into hold, pausing for scant seconds as their hips rotated together. A brief moment, but telling.

Kuukaku smirked at her husband. "Aren't you supposed to be worried, Kenpachi?"

"Che. What do I got to be worried about?" he grunted. "Yachiru can take care of herself." His black eyes gleamed. "Though if he breaks her heart I'm gonna break his neck."

"I'll help you, tou-san!" Kaien piped up.

"That's m'boy."

"Excellent Cuban breaks," Ukitake interrupted, shooting a concerned look at the combined Zaraki-Shiba family. Really, sometimes they were too much. "I do believe they have a shot at winning this.'

Ukitake's words proved to be prophetic. Yachiru and Wonderwice simply blew the other couples out of the water. No other couple was as dynamic and exciting and even though some of Yachiru's choreography wasn't traditional, their technique was spot on. Wonderwice, to his bewilderment, was dragged to a noisy 8/13 celebration. He watched, bemused, as his partner was hefted onto her adopted uncles' shoulders and paraded around the ballroom. He received a few slaps on the back, but otherwise all the attention went to Yachiru. For that, he was relieved.

He wandered up to the roof, staring out over the bustling Tokyo skyline and beyond it, the faint outline of Mount Fuji.

"Silent-chan, don't be antisocial!" Yachiru scolded from behind him. "Come back down, everyone wants us to dance the cha-cha again." She leaned on the railing beside him. "What are you looking at?"

He pointed to the silent, sacred mountain.

"Eh? Fuji-san?" She tilted her head to the side, regarding it thoughtfully. "You know, I have yet to climb it."

Wonderwice turned to her, grinning and pointing to himself.

"You've climbed Fuji-san?" she said with wonder and admiration. "What was it like?"

He smiled, pointed to the clouds, and walked his fingers across his palm.

"Like walking on clouds?" He nodded. "Sugoi." She beamed. "Ne, Silent-chan, since you seem to be a little bit of an expert, why don't you take me up there sometime?"

He looked at her reproachfully. It was a common saying in Japan that one would have to be a fool not to climb the mountain once, but a fool to climb it twice. Wonderwice definitely wasn't a fool – and perhaps a wee bit superstitious.

Yachiru managed to get all that from one look. She was getting much better at interpreting her partner's actions and expressions. "Fine," she sighed. She grabbed his hand. "Now come on, everyone wants us to dance!"

Wonderwice allowed himself to be towed after her. She was always dragging him around, but somehow he didn't mind. Truth be told, he enjoyed her company, even if he didn't quite understand her propensity for idle chatter and mischief. However, she was endearing at times and they had a good partnership.

"Silent-chan, stop dragging your feet!"

He rolled his eyes. If they went any faster down the stairs they were going to go tumbling head over heels. But he followed anyway. It was always better to go with the flow.

"Hey Silent-chan, what are you reading?"

Wonderwice didn't even protest as she snatched the book out of his hands. He just sat back and watched her, his eyes crinkling up at the corners.

"What's this?" Yachiru examined the book, perching next to him on the window seat. "Napoleon? Is this a theme? Last week it was the Duke of Marlborough and the week before that it was Alexander the Great. Are you into conquering warlords or something?"

His eyes twinkled. It was true that he rarely spoke, but this was too good of an opportunity to pass up, especially if it meant knocking his normally unflappable partner off-balance. She was so used to shocking other people that few things fazed her. "Maybe conquering," he said off-handedly.

Sure enough, he had the satisfaction of seeing those huge plum-colored eyes widen. She blinked several times. He had to have been joking. "Ne, Silent-chan," she began. "Are you flirting with me?"

Mission accomplished. Wonderwice plucked his book from nerveless fingers and began to read. If he were the whistling type, he would have been whistling a jaunty tune. As it was, his toe tapped against the opposite wall with a sharp, staccato beat.

Yachiru stared at Wonderwice like she'd never seen him before. There had to be something wrong with her radar. She was an accomplished flirt, among other things. She couldn't help it that she found the opposite sex interesting – she'd grown up surrounded by men and was insanely comfortable in their company. It was a good thing that Ken-chan trusted her judgment, otherwise she would have been in trouble a long time ago. Actually, it was Uki-chan who got overprotective. It was always amusing to see him go purple in the face when she got too chummy with the opposite sex.

She'd never considered getting chummy with Wonderwice. It wasn't that she didn't find him attractive – she found him very attractive – but she didn't like one-sided conversations. "Not that I mind any flirting, Silent-chan, but…" she began.

Wonderwice glanced up from his book, his brow furrowing as he watched Yachiru extrapolate on the ethics of flirting with one's partner. She was bright and animated, her roseate hair whipping around her face. Enthusiasm radiated off her in waves just as words tumbled from her lips. There was no doubt that she was beautiful. There was even something oddly appealing about her chatter.

But he also wanted her to appreciate the beauty of silence. It never ceased to amaze him how she felt so utterly compelled to fill the empty air instead of appreciating it for what it was.

"You haven't heard a word I've said, have you?" Yachiru said, exasperated. "Silent-chan, it's been six months and I've probably heard only a paragraph of speech from you."

He shrugged and then reached out to toy with a strand of her hair. He loved her hair – sometimes, when the light struck it just right, it was as iridescent as a dragonfly's wings.

Yachiru rolled her eyes. "Oy. Stop trying to change the subject. I still-" She stopped as he put a finger over her lips, shushing her. He shook his head.

She stared. It wasn't the gesture that shocked her so much as the effect. It was like there were a thousand butterflies in her stomach.

Even Wonderwice felt it. The same shock was reflected in his vividly purple eyes.

"What-" she began.

He frowned. There was no way that he was going to let her ruin the moment with words when they were obviously so far beyond them.

So he leaned forward and replaced his finger with his lips.

Yachiru froze. She certainly hadn't seen this coming but now that it was happening, she couldn't complain. She liked kissing well enough and fancied herself as a modern-day Scarlett O'Hara: she needed to be kissed often, and by someone who knew how. Unfortunately, she had yet to find her Rhett Butler. All of her past smooching buddies had been mediocre at best.

Who would have thought that Wonderwice would fit the bill? Her bizarre partner had been hiding a few things, she decided. His lips were soft and insistent against hers, a silent demand for more.

Her lips curved wickedly. Oh, she would give him more. She turned to face him and pushed him back against the window seat, clambering into his lap. She purred happily as he acquiesced, a hand tangling itself in her hair to pull her down and deepen the kiss. The book fell to the floor in a forgotten heap.

"Ew. Can you guys get a room?"

Yachiru pulled away reluctantly. Kyouraku Halu and Hitsugaya Aki stood in the doorway. Aki looked equal parts horrified and intrigued, while Halu looked bored with the entire situation.

"Don't be such a spoilsport, Halu-chan!" Yachiru said cheerfully, hopping off Wonderwice's lap and the window seat. "Who knows, maybe you'll learn something."

"I'm nine, Yachiru-nee-san," was the grave reply. "I don't want to learn that stuff."

"Yet," she replied. "You don't want to learn that stuff yet." Her eyebrows wiggled.

"Ever," was the firm reply. "Aki and I need to practice now."

"Don't worry, we're leaving," Yachiru laughed. But she couldn't resist teasing Halu – she planted a kiss on his cheek as she sailed out of the room. Shunsui's son blushed and wiped his cheek while Aki laughed uproariously.

Wonderwice nodded at the two children as he ambled out of the studio. Yachiru was waiting in the hallway, looking him over with a considering eye. "Why did you do that?" she asked curiously.

He paused and with a shrug of the shoulder, relented. "I wanted to see if I'd like it," he said honestly.

"Did you?"

He leaned close, brushing his thumb across her lower lip. It was immensely satisfying to see her eyes flutter closed. "Perhaps."

Her eyes shot open. Wonderwice was already strolling down the hallway, book in hand. But he glanced over his shoulder at her, smirking slightly.

Yachiru decided from there on out that Wonderwice was not allowed to smirk. It had to be illegal for an expression like that to be so sexy, especially on a guy like him. Although…she had to wonder if the novelty was what made it so tempting in the first place. In any case, if he smirked at her again she could not be blamed for her actions. She could very well jump him.

She grinned slyly. Oh, she hoped he would.

A very pregnant Kiyone watched as Ikkaku cackled a little too gleefully after receiving news from Yumichika about Yachiru's budding relationship. Apparently Yumi had caught them making out on the roof – and little Hitsugaya Aki had only been too happy to add that she and Halu had caught the two of them at it, too. Kiyone shrugged. He'd been waiting for years for the betting tables to turn on Yachiru. It was certainly one of his odder qualities, but she'd learned to accept it, as he had with hers. "Just don't get too carried away!" she called.

Sometimes, Yachiru thought grouchily, her spontaneity had a tendency to bite her in the butt. Perhaps it hadn't been such a good idea to try and surprise Silent-chan on campus. She'd forgotten how big Todai was, and it was only sheer providence that caused her to go to the Komaba campus. Komaba was where all freshmen and sophomores took their general education classes. Still, even with it being summer session there were still a lot of people there and she had no idea where he was. He was horrible at answering his phone.

She shrugged and walked on. If Silent-chan was up and walking around, she'd find him soon enough. Tall, lanky, violet-eyed blonds were hard to come by.

"Lost, sweetie?"

Yachiru raised an eyebrow and turned around. The pretty boy smiled charmingly at her, supremely confident in his lady-killer abilities. She smiled back, innocent as can be. She could chew him up and spit him out in no time flat, but she decided to play nice. "I'm looking for someone."

"Me, perhaps?" He posed, and it was downright awful. Yumi-kun would have died.

"No. I'm looking for Wonderwice Margera. Sophomore, tall, blond, purple eyes?"

Pretty Boy grimaced. "Margera? What could a pretty lady like you want with a weirdo like that? I'm much more fun." He tried to leer, but ended up looking constipated.

Yachiru almost barfed and couldn't help but feel affronted. Yes, Silent-chan was weird, but he was her weirdo. "I'm sure. Anyway, his location?"

"Probably by Suiji Gate. He's always there," Pretty Boy relented. He made for her hand as she turned to go. "Hey, wait!"

She turned and pinned him with a sharp and dangerous grin. "Have you ever heard the expression, 'that's too much car for you?'" He shook his head dumbly. "You're already in my rearview mirror. Ta-ta!" Within seconds, she'd blended into the crowd.

Suiji Gate was on the other side of Komaba, but she was fast. She soon spotted a head of flaxen hair. This wasn't the sickly yellow of bleached hair, oh no. This was spun gold, dazzling in its richness. Her breath caught in her throat, as it was wont to do lately in his presence. It was an odd thing. He was sitting on a bench, watching a – she squinted – a dragonfly. No surprise there.

However, the girl sitting next to him on the bench was. Even though she was seated, she was obviously tall, with long, glossy black hair and delicate features. Yachiru frowned and sidled closer. He looked like he was actually…talking. Not even talking…flirting.

She darted behind a nearby tree. The wind was blowing the wrong way; she couldn't hear a thing. But she saw him lean forward, his eyes twinkling in mirth as he toyed with a strand of the other girl's hair. Yachiru's blood boiled. The girl blushed prettily but snapped out a coy reply, by the looks of it.

Suddenly, the wind changed. "I couldn't help it," Wonderwice said. She felt a short jolt, as she did every time he spoke. "I can resist everything except temptation."

The tone of his voice, so similar to the way he'd sounded after he kissed her that first time, rocked her out of her stupor. Her first instinct was to claw the bitch's eyes out and pull out all that lovely black hair. Then she would beat Silent-chan within an inch of his life – and she could, too. Ken-chan and Baldy-chan were kyoukushin fighters as well as ballroom dancers and had insisted on training her as well.

But Yachiru's body warred with her mind and she found herself running away, perilously close to tears. But that was ridiculous. Who was Silent-chan to her, anyway? She dragged him out to eat and go clubbing, sure. They were smooching buddies from time to time, yes. And the dancing. Kami, the dancing.

But they weren't together, not really. So why was she so hurt? Granted, she was feeling pretty homicidal too, but the ache was there, hovering in her chest. None of her smooching buddies had made her feel like this before.

She was home before she knew it, and fled past a surprised Kuukaku and into her room without a word. She was too messed up inside to deal with anyone right now. She stared up at the ceiling as the minutes ticked by, replaying that scene over and over in her head and trying to analyze her feelings.

After an hour, she still had no resolution – or any reason why she was feeling so…put out, to say the least.

There was a tap at her door. "Yachiru, I'm coming in." Kuukaku's voice left no room for argument. Yachiru sat up in her bed and waited as her stepmother closed the door and settled beside her.

"I figured you've had enough time to stew," she said without preamble. "Do you want to tell me what's bothering you?"

"I'm going to kill him." Her statement lacked conviction due to the confusion warring within her.

"I assume you mean Wonderwice. What happened?"

Yachiru only hesitated a few seconds before she relented. If she didn't tell Kuu-chan, who would she tell? Perhaps Yumi-kun, but he was liable to blow everything out of proportion, alternating between gushing over her "womanhood" and wanting to kill Silent-chan. She certainly couldn't tell Ken-chan or Baldy-chan because they'd eviscerate him, no questions asked. Kaien was too young to understand.

Nope, it only left Kuu-chan. Besides being her stepmother, she was one of her best friends. Even when Yachiru was a child, Kuu-chan had treated her like an adult, an equal. Best of all, she understood her. Perhaps she could explain what Yachiru was feeling, since she was so horribly lost.

"Hmmm," was all Kuukaku said after Yachiru finished telling her story. Her bottle-green eyes narrowed thoughtfully. Years of being a mother to the girl-no, young woman sitting beside her and Kaien had granted her an infinite amount of patience. Being married to the Kenpachi helped, too. So even though she wanted to throttle Wonderwice, she kept that urge in check. There were more important things to deal with – like Yachiru's feelings.

She'd wondered when the bubbly girl was going to move from mild flirtation to something deeper. Her ease with men and her teasing nature had kept her from falling, but Kuukaku knew it was only a matter of time and that she would be confused with her burgeoning emotions.

"So you like him, do you?" The best way to deal with her was to be direct.

Yachiru looked like Kuukaku had clubbed her over the head with a mallet. "What?"

"You like him." Kuukaku repeated, suppressing the urge to laugh. "You felt betrayed when you saw him with that girl, didn't you? It hurts right now, even if you feel like killing him. You like him."

"B-but-"

"Now, I can't say if this is going to go any deeper," she continued, steamrolling over any protests Yachiru might have had. "This could be infatuation; after all, you're still young. This is, however, more than a crush."

"It is?" The pink-haired woman crinkled her brow, thinking deeply. She might have been surprised, but she wasn't stupid. Silent-chan was different from all the men she'd encountered, so it stood to reason that her feelings for him were different as well. "Maybe you're right, Kuu-chan."

The Shiba clan head snorted. "Of course I'm right, gaki," she said affectionately. "Even if I hadn't been in your place once, I've seen plenty of people who have."

"But so have I!" Yachiru said, bewildered. "I mean, that's why I got all the money from the bets. I knew when everyone else was getting tied into knots over someone else."

"Sweet, it's one thing to see it and another thing entirely to experience it."

"I suppose." She chewed on her bottom lip.

"Trust me." Kuukaku slung a friendly arm around her shoulders. "Now, even though I think a good thrashing is in order-" she chuckled. "I'm biased. Anyway, it still wouldn't hurt to find out what he was doing. Who knows, you could have taken something out of context. You owe yourself that much. Believe me, charging in blind doesn't do a damn thing."

That much was true, and Yachiru told her so. Kuukaku grinned and got to her feet. "Damn straight. Now come on, let's head down before the Kenpachi and Kaien figure out what's going on."

The next day, Yachiru walked into 8/13 with determination in every step. She was going to find out exactly what Silent-chan had been up to. Depending on his answer, he'd be on the receiving end of her right hook or…well, she wasn't sure. But she was willing to hear him out.

There was only one problem: he wasn't in the studio. Yachiru frowned and went to check out his other hiding spots. Sometimes he liked to take a nap on the roof, or on the fire escape. But he was nowhere to be found, not even in his apartment.

Yachiru was beginning to get angry again. She stomped down to Uki-chan's office, hoping that he had an explanation.

The sound of voices inside stopped her. "Yes, thank you, Aizen-kun, for letting me know. I will be sure to pass the news on to Yachiru. Take care!"

She frowned. What news?

"What did he say?" That soft, gentle voice could only be Braid-chan.

"He said that Wonderwice-kun was with them. Apparently, he heard that Tousen was there and took the night train to Osaka."

"And of course, he did not think to leave word with us." She didn't sound angry, but Braid-chan never sounded angry. Especially when she was.

"It's understandable. From what I've heard, Tousen is like a surrogate father figure to him. If the rumors are true and Tousen is planning to accept the job at Aizen Studios, I will not be surprised if Wonderwice-kun will choose to move there as well."

Yachiru rocked back on her heels, stunned.

"But what about Yachiru-chan?"

Uki-chan hesitated. "Yes, that would be a problem. Yachiru-chan and Wonderwice-kun have surpassed all of my expectations. It would be a shame to lose him, but if he wants to go, what can we do? Yachiru-chan will not follow him: she's made her opinion of Aizen Studios very clear."

"Well, let us hope that it does not come to that. I fear that Yachiru-chan will be very hurt if he chooses to go."

"Really? How so?"

Yachiru turned and ran for the second time in two days. She didn't want to hear Braid-chan explain the feelings that she was only starting to come to grips with.

This unexpected development hurt far more than anything she'd experienced yesterday because this time it warred with fear. Now she was faced with losing Silent-chan in a way that was entirely different. Granted, Osaka was not far. Yumi-kun and Soi-chan had made it work with Sun-chan and Panther-chan, but to her Osaka felt like the moon.

Yachiru burst onto the roof, panting. She didn't know what to do anymore. These new emotions were like new dance shoes, hard and unyielding. She felt like she was being weighed down, like invisible walls were pressing in around her.

She glanced up and out, over the horizon. Her gaze sharpened.

Very well. If she was feeling caged in, she would go to a place where she could walk on the clouds.

Again, Yachiru thought sourly, her impulsive nature had a tendency to bite her in the ass. Once she got the idea to climb Fuji-san stuck in her head, nothing could dissuade her. From 8/13 she'd gone straight home, packed, and drove off towards the mountain, leaving a brief note so that Kuu-chan, Ken-chan, and Kaien wouldn't worry. She'd spent the night in a small hotel in Gotemba so that she could spend all of Sunday hiking.

The hike was something she was now deeply regretting. She'd dismissed the idea of taking her car up to the fifth station at Kawaguchiko and climbing from there. It was by far the easiest and most popular route because of its accessibility. No, she wanted this hike to be hard on mind and body so that she could think, so she'd chosen to hike from the foot of the mountain. She'd heard the Yoshida route was pleasant, with many old huts, shrines, and teahouses along its path.

Indeed, Yoshida was beautiful and tranquil, unhampered by the press of tourist crowds. But it was damn hard. Even years of ballroom dancing couldn't have prepared her for this. She did possess a great deal of stamina, but she was only halfway up and still had a few hours to go. She planned to get there in time to see the sunset, but if she didn't, she had a place reserved in one of the huts at Kawaguchiko 8th station so that she could see the sunrise. The muscles in her legs burned, but still she pressed onward.

At least she'd thought to prepare. Her hiking pack was a godsend, since it held all of her spare clothing, money, water, and food. The trail had been sweltering at the bottom, but she knew that it was only going to get colder – the summit could be downright freezing, even in the summer. She'd had the foresight to pack raingear, which was just as well, since it had just become foggy and damp with the scent of not-too-distant rain in the air.

Three-fourths of the way up, she still had no clear idea about what to do. She'd even burnt incense at one of the shrines with no success. At this point, she was inclined to curse him, which she did, loudly. "That jerk," she hissed, stabbing her climbing stick into the path. "If he's really going to Osaka, I hope he breaks his leg." She growled as the mist grew heavier. "Walking on clouds, huh? What does he think he is, a mountain god? If I ever see him again, even in my dreams, I'm beating him to a pulp!"

By the time Yachiru reached the summit, there was still an hour left before sunset and miraculously, there was no one to be seen. The weather, as it was wont to do on Fuji-san, decided to go against the forecast of clear skies. Rain fell in heavy sheets, obscuring everything and drenching Yachiru, who had barely managed to get her raincoat on in time.

That was the straw that broke the camel's back. She was exhausted: mentally and physically. "I can't see anything!" she shrieked to the sky. "That numbskull lied to me!" The rain fell harder, like needles of ice against her exposed skin. Suddenly, the thought of seeing the sunrise wasn't so appealing. But she was here already and had a spot reserved at one of the huts. She did not want to try a descent in the pouring rain – knowing her luck lately, she'd probably trip, fall, and die.

Where were Baldy-chan and his stupid Luck-Luck dance when she needed them?

Doubt, distress, and an odd feeling akin to the blossoming of a flower in her chest threatened to overwhelm her. "Silent-chan!" she screamed out over the mountain, grateful that there was no one there to see her make a fool of herself. "Silent-chan, you bastard, I'm going to kill you!"

"What for?"

Her head whipped around and she gawked at the figure that was slowly approaching, his outline blurred by the downpour. When he came into focus, it was Wonderwice, bundled up head-to-toe in warm, waterproof climbing gear. He was looking right at her, a slight grin on his face.

"I'm hallucinating," Yachiru mumbled. "Altitude sickness, that must be it. He's a figment of my imagination." But soon he was within inches of her and the proof of his presence could not be ignored. "What are you doing here?" she squawked, ignoring the fact that she sounded like an indignant hen.

The rain muted all the colors around them except for his eyes. They glowed like amethysts in the waning light. "You're the one calling for me. Why are you surprised?"

"Baka. You can't teleport here from Osaka!"

He shrugged. "I wanted to be here when you made the climb. You should hurry next time – do you know how long I've been waiting?"

Yachiru looked at him suspiciously. "Is the mountain air addling your brain?" Maybe she wasn't the one with altitude sickness. "You're talking way too much." Though she had to admit, his voice was incredibly pleasant to listen to: slightly husky yet smoother than cream.

Kami, what a woman, Wonderwice thought. Being with her was like standing in the eye of a hurricane while eating pocky. There was so much life in her that it was almost overwhelming. He had tried so hard not to want her, but he had only succeeded in wanting her more. "Trust you to be contrary, Yachiru. I'm silent, and you want me to talk. I talk, and you want me to stay silent. No, I just don't want you to jump to conclusions and get the wrong idea, though I'm probably a bit late for that."

"What do you mean?"

"Kuukaku-san called me after you left and explained everything to me." He grinned widely at her. "You were jealous."

She gritted her teeth. Of all the times for him to be smug – she really was going to pound him into the ground. "Was not."

"Yes, you were," he corrected gently. "And with no reason, I might add. You stumbled upon a rehearsal for my drama class. We're performing Lady Windermere's Fan. I'm Lord Darlington."

Oh. That made sense. It really hadn't seemed like him. But there was still the issue of Osaka. "What about Aizen?" she asked stubbornly. "If your old sensei moves there, what's to stop you from going there, too?"

He blinked. Those cornsilk eyelashes were absurdly long. "Why would I move to Osaka when my partner is in Tokyo?"

"B-but-"

Everything clicked in his mind. Not only was Yachiru jealous, she was afraid that he was going to leave her. Things were turning out better than he could have dreamed. It seemed like she wanted him just as much as he wanted her. "Yachiru, I'm not leaving 8/13." He took a chance and moved even closer, until they were toe-to-toe and she had to crane her head back to meet his eyes. "Most importantly, I'm not leaving you."

No, he certainly was not going to leave her, not now. She was hyperactive and irritating, yet utterly irresistible. She was a wicked little witch, but that was part of her charm. Besides, they balanced each other quite nicely, if he did say so herself. He wanted to see what roads they could travel together.

A curl of rosy hair poked out of her hood. He reached out and tucked it behind her ear, his eyes soft as he looked down at her. Somehow, Yachiru caught every emotion that flickered in those bright eyes and understood everything that he left unspoken. It was everything that she had wanted to hear.

The rain was lessening with each passing minute. "Is that all you wanted to say?" she said slowly. Wonderwice just smiled at her. She grinned back. "Good, because I have something to tell you, too."

She grabbed the lapels of his jacket and pulled him down, rising onto her tiptoes to meet him halfway. She crushed her lips to his, pushing out every riotous emotion from the past few days into it. She felt those strong, gentle hands settle on her hips to keep her steady. He was perfect at doing that, she thought hazily. The anchor to her storm.

Eventually Yachiru pulled back, nipping on his bottom lip for emphasis. "Got it?" she demanded.

He nodded. She had taken a leaf from his book, telling him without words everything he needed to know. He jerked his head to the side.

"What?" Yachiru glanced out over the horizon and gasped. The rain had disappeared and the clouds and haze were rapidly moving away. She checked her watch. Maybe, just maybe, she would see her sunset.

But then, she didn't really care anymore, she thought, wrapping her arms around Wonderwice's waist. She was perfectly happy as things were.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. "Ne, Wonderwice, I thought only fools climbed Fuji-san twice. Does that mean…"

Wonderwice rolled his eyes good-naturedly, tucking her head beneath his chin as she chattered on. A fool in love, he thought. But he could handle that.

When the two of them finally returned to 8/13, even Yachiru had to pay up to an all-too-satisfied Ikkaku on a years-old bet that even she had forgotten about.

Review! Or you're dancing with Mayuri! XD

Holy crap, SB is almost done! *weeps* All that's left is the second-gen fic featuring Kyouraku Halu and Hitsugaya Aki! Anyway, I had a lot of fun writing this. Wonderwice had almost no dialogue...I was as surprised as Yachiru when he decided to start yapping at the end! Cookies to whoever can spot the Bones reference/quote I used. I have to say that I loved the end scene because it was based on one of my favorite scenes from the k-drama My Lovely Sam-Soon. Sam-Soon climbs Mt. Halla on Jeju Island, cursing Sam-Sik the entire way up, determined to break up with him. And of course, he's waiting for her at the top, in the pouring rain. It's enough to send any romantic heart into overdrive! :D

As always, poptate is an absolute angel for beta-ing. *hugs*