Disclaimer; I do not own Bleach. I merely borrow the characters for a time. If I did own Bleach Gin X Kira would be cannon, and many things would be different. Which means it is probably a good thing I don't own Bleach.

A/N; This is a set of drabbles centred around the pair Gin X Kira. The first based around Kira, and his interactions with Gin before the Ryoka incident. Next I shall focus on Gin before moving on back to Kira.

Please Read and Review! Honestly, I am powered by reviews.

In his Shadow

Kira followed closely along behind Gin, staying almost completely in his Taicho's darkest shadow. It was obvious from the sad looks and furtive glances he was earning that people thought he did this out of fear of Gin, but Kira knew the real reason. He was the only one outside of the Captains to have seen Gin's Bankai. Anyone would want to walk where Kira did if they had seen it, but only Kira would ever be given that privilege.

Kira walked so closely behind Gin because only there could one hope to survive unscathed, only there was Gin's defence low. Kira Izuru was protected there, as he would protect his Taicho from whoever threatened him. Together they were one, together they would stand.

Behind his Wicked Smile

The first time he saw the smile disappear was when he saw Matsumoto argue forcefully with Gin over some incident with the recruits. The smile faded and fell as she walked away, a sad gaze boring into her retreating back, even if the eyes of his Taicho were, as always, closed. It had touched Kira, that sudden show of emotion; though of all the true emotions he wanted to see from his Taicho sadness wasn't it.

And so he tended to his Taicho with care, ensuring that he never got to see the true Gin. It pleased him enough to know that look of complete sadness would not appear again, that at least his Taicho was not unhappy. He thought his actions went unnoticed. He was wrong.

The second time he saw the smile disappear it was when Gin embraced him in their office, whispering softly in his ear, so quietly he may have imagined it.

"Thank you."

His Idle Ways

Kira sighed as he saw his Taicho napping once more in his chair, his head lying on one arm as the other covered his face, fingers clawed in his hair. Teetering piles of paperwork were gathered around his still form. Carefully Kira placed his own stack of paperwork, so kindly supplied by First Division, down on his desk and backed out of the room.

He returned minutes later a steaming pot of tea on a tray, neither he nor Gin functioned without tea upon waking. He flinched as the teapot clinked loudly as he struggled with the door; despite Gin's kindness to him in private he still feared waking him. Well he feared waking anyone; he feared that they would stir from sleep in anger.

"Taicho," Kira said softly, resting a hand gently on Gin's arm, bending slightly over the desk towards him, "There is a hot cup of tea here for you."

The man stirred and Kira was treated to the sight of one bleary eye actually looking up at him before it closed once more, a hand shifting to squeeze Kira's gently, before in silence Gin returned to his paperwork.

Despite all whispers to the contrary, it was not Kira who kept the office light burning deep into the night, nor who caused the quiet scratching of the pen across paper as the moon tracked across the sky.

His Sarcastic Tone

The cutting comments of his Taicho would have hurt even the coldest of hearts; if that was Kira had thought Gin meant them, or that he intentionally meant to insult his fukutaicho so harshly in public. It wasn't as if Kira did not fight back in his own little ways, if people knew he wasn't as loyal and dedicated to his Taicho as they thought, nor as dedicated… It would have shocked all in Seiretei.

Would anyone truly guess that retaliation to a particularly nasty comment, that had not been apologised for quickly enough, was a cup of ice cold tea sweetened so highly with sugar that it would taste bitter? Those eyes had opened, however briefly, in shock as Gin had taken the first hasty gulp. The brief spike in Reiatsu from his Taicho quashed as Kira laughed quietly. His Taicho's only retribution a tap on the head with rolled up paper and a hastily mumbled,

"Ya know I didn't mean it."

In the end they both enjoyed teasing the other in their own ways.

The Coldness of his Touch

Only Kira could provide the heat to those cold fingers that glided so smoothly across his skin, and through his hair. The gentleness of the touch belying the words that often accompanied the actions, despite the way the cold made him shiver, his eyes widening in shock as his heat seeped away into the others skin.

To an outsider it seemed as though he was caught in the stare of a predator, Kira found he didn't care if he was; a cold hand often meant a warm heart after all... Despite this he still sought to bring warmth back to the cool flesh.

Yet, at night as they walked through Seiretei it would be Kira whose warmth would be thought of first, Gin removing his Captains Haori to drape it over Kira's shoulders. Refusing to listen to Kira's hasty entreaties that he take it back.

His Dextrous Hands

Kira found he often watched his Taicho's hands gliding over his paperwork, his hair managing to hide his gaze; it was so rare anyone ever saw them. They were something his Taicho seemed to hide as if shameful of them, and yet Kira thought they were perfect.

So he aimed to capture those hands when finally they were alone, and bestow upon them soft kisses, hoping to convey how much he adored them to his Taicho. It shocked him when Gin had pulled away so hurriedly looking up at him with such surprise, before finally pulling him down into his arms allowing Kira to kiss his Taicho's hands as much as he desired.