My Girl

Yachiru ran quickly alongside her Taichou, his bells tinkling quietly as they always did. Their soft, unending melody was jarring against the appearance of the 11th Division Taichou, particularly his blood-streaked face and wicked smile. He was in a good mood today. The fight had been especially fierce, and more blood sluiced off his ragged uniform as he ran, leaving a fine mist of red in his wake.

They had always been together in her mind. She remembered very little of her life before him, and what she was able to dredge up only reinforced her desire to forget it and stay with him. Other shinigami did not really interest her, not in any lasting or deep way, except to the extent that they interested him. If he ever decided to leave the Gotei 13 and abandon his position, it went without saying that she would follow him. The brutal man who had saved her was the only person she had ever respected.

She had grown since the years when she could fit easily on his bulky shoulder, but they still ran together. Time still passed in Seireitei, even if it did seem to pass exceptionally slowly. She had allowed her soft pink hair to grow a little, to brush her shoulders. She liked the feel her hair billowing behind her as she ran beside her Taichou.

Suddenly she stopped, the paving stones cracking under her heels from the pressure. Kenpachi skidded less gracefully to a halt ahead of her, the dull smashing of the ground accompanying his bells as he turned. "What's up? You sense somethin'?" he rumbled out.

She was silent for a moment, far more serious than was normal for her. She couldn't help but notice yet again how tall he was as she stared pensively up at him. Her bright voice suddenly rang out, shocking in the near-silence. "Ken-chan, I think I love you."

She gave no time for her stunning declaration to be digested by the fierce Taichou as she continued, reevaluating her words. "Or I guess I should say I could never be with anybody else." Her face still serious, she cocked her head to the side like a small bird. "They're all idiots. Weak idiots at that. I don't respect weaklings, and I'm not gonna put up with them. Basically, since you're the only one I've ever looked up to, and probably the only person I ever will look up to, I thought you should know that I don't think I could be with anyone else."

He looked a little confused as he attempted to say something, only to have his words drowned out by Yachiru's continuation, her mouth stretching wide as she spoke over him and her hands settling onto her hips. "I'm not saying I expect anything new from you. I don't. Just thought by now you should know." And she turned as if to continue on with their run back to the 11th Division headquarters.

"But I'm not just gonna give you to anybody else, either. Anybody who tries to get close to you better be stronger than me." She turned her head slowly, her back ramrod straight, and the intensely evil glint in her eye clarified her insinuations. Then she was off, a delicate puff of dust rising behind her, yelling back happily, "First one to the barracks wins, Ken-chaaaaan!"

He stood for a second as he considered her retreating back. Yachiru's pink hair was waving like a flag behind her. He'd always thought it was that hair which made her look more fragile than she really was. Then, sounding as if it was pulled from deep within his gut, a harsh, barking laugh began to echo across the nearly empty streets, chasing behind Yachiru as she ran. "That's my girl," he said, his slow, fearsome grin widening. His bells gave a brighter jingle than normal as he put an extra burst of reiatsu into his step to catch up with her.