Title: Prejudice
Author: elfling_eryn
Beta: nekoshounen
Characters/Pairing: Hisagi Shuuhei/Kira Izuru
Rating/Warnings: PG-13
Theme: #11. Standing to defend you
Note: I listened to Sonnenstrahl by Schandmaul while writing it.

earlyer (please read in that order):
4. masks - everything has to change
12 parting ways/meetings - never good at letting go
3. the rain - あめ　が　ふろ
14. conspiracy - Three Words


After their confession they had went to Kiras flat and simply enjoyed the walk their with a content silence surrounding them.
Every now and then they shared a quick kiss or a hug and when the entered Kiras flat they went into the living room and sat down on the couch. Cuddling and kissing and being close together, finally having their wish come true.
Neither longed for more contact...yet...
They just wanted to be near the other one, cuddling, hugging, kissing, feeling, it was real.
Around two in the morning they went to bed, both hoping it wouldn't turn out to just be a dream in the morning.


The next morning the first thing Kira realized was a pair of arms, tightly wrapped around his waist, holding him close to a warm body behind him.
Then the memories of the last night appeared in front of his inner eye and he smiled, turning around in the embrace to look at Hisagi's face. Content he snuggled closer to Hisagi's chest and closed his eyes again. He knew they had to get up soon, but it was about 15 minutes or so until the alarm clock would ring, so he could use the time.

It didn't take long until Hisagi, too, was awake and seemingly tugging Kira even closer.
The younger one smiled and opened his eyes again, feeling the other one holding him in a tight embrace and leaning down, burying his face in Kira's hair and inhaling his scent.
“Good morning.”, Kira mumbled, making no attempt to move an inch.
Hisagi just nodded and held Kira close, enjoying the feeling of the other's skin against his. Both were just wearing pyjama pants.

They stayed like this until the alarm clock rang and Kira withdrew with a sight, smiling at Hisagi while he sat up.
Hisagi too rose from the bed and smiled, placing a quick kiss on Kira's lips before starting to search for his clothes. He found them and started dressing while Kira went into the bathroom and then into the kitchen to prepare breakfast. He would get dressed after that, but he knew Hisagi had to leave earlier because the ninth division was farther away than the third.

When Hisagi entered the kitchen breakfast already waited for him. Just some toast along with jam and two mugs of coffee stood on the table, but it was more than enough.
Kira sat already there and smiled at Hisagi, feeling absolute delight because Hisagi was with him and hadn't rejected him.
Hisagi sat down across from Kira and they ate in content silence until it was time for Hisagi to leave.
Kira lead him to the door and placed a short kiss on Hisagi's lips before the other one left for work. Both hoping to be able to see the other one as soon as possible. But they didn't knew how work would be today, so it was difficult to decide beforehand.
Kira waited until Hisagi was out of sight, then he closed the door and went inside to finally get dressed.

At that moment the first person had already seen them and now, with the city awaking, the news spread like wildfire.

~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~

When Kira entered the third division building he felt everyone looking at him and complete silence settled down on the every room he entered, where beforehand quiet murmurs had filled the air.
He didn't say anything about it, just greeted his subordinates and went to his office to retrieve his orders for today. While looking through the papers sighting, because it was a lot to do, some Shinigami passed by for no apparent reason. They just took a look and then left.
Kira felt horrible, like a strange animal in a zoo or something like that. He was just happy that Ichimaru-taichou didn't lose a single word on that topic and worked in silence.

At lunch break Kira didn't leave his office. He stayed inside, not bothering to eat anything, just keeping up with the work that had to be done.
He didn't admit it to himself now, but he was running away from the stares, the rumours and gossip, the prejudice and the accusations that he'd most probably be confronted with soon.

~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~

Hisagi was greeted by a serene silence when he entered his division. He arrived as one of the first persons because he had been especially happy and because of that hadn't cared about his speed and got carried away.
He walked to his office all smiling, and started to do the work that awaited him.
At lunch break he left his office for the first time and his face fell, when he saw everyone standing in groups, chattering about something and silencing as fast as Hisagi got close enough to maybe overhear something.
He left the building and went to a nearby garden, where a group of Shinigami was oblivious to his presence and kept talking.

“...heard latest news? Seems Kira-fukutaichou and Hisagi-fukutaichou finally got together. Someone saw them kissing in the morning.” “Really? So it was...two weeks, ne? So you owe me some money, guys.” “Yeah, we know. But let's see how long they stay like that. You said four weeks, ne?”

Hisagi's aura grew cold when he heard that and went back to the ninth division where everyone quickly retreated into their office or somewhere else when they saw him coming closer.

~~~~~~*~~~~~~

After finishing his work the sun was already on it's way down. He quickly left the building, trying to leave unseen so he wouldn't hear, what they said, wouldn't feel their gazes. But just that lead him to overhear a conversation, which had tears well up in his eyes. Of course he didn't show them, just closed his face a bit more and hurried to their favourite parks, where they knew a quiet little niche, that went unnoticed by most persons passing by.
There he sat down and tried to calm himself, but the images just kept coming up, the looks he received, the gossip he heard, the thing he had just listened to.
Caught up in his thought he didn't realize that the sun had already given way to the night and the stars were blinking above him. He didn't notice that the park was empty by now.
He was so caught up, that he didn't feel another persons reaitsu drawing closer which was just as tensed up as his own.

~~~~~~*~~~~~~~

To Hisagi it had been a very busy day and his nerves had reached the breaking point.
He had worked till sundown and that left as fast as possible because he was sure Kira had had a day just as horrible as himself and he also knew, how fragile the other man was, when it came to such themes.
He hurried to get to the park they usually met, because he was sure Kira would be there in the niche, crouched on the ground and oblivious of his surroundings.
He was right and his heart ached when he saw the other one, sitting their and fighting for control where it wasn't needed. He just hoped Kira would open up to him.
Slowly he sat down next to the other one and, after hesitating for a few seconds, he said: “Kira?”

when he heard his name Kira instantly turned into the direction of the voice. He was all tense and somehow seeing Hisagi didn't help a lot. He looked at him in disbelief and noticed the cold, tired and riled up aura.
He hesitated a few seconds, then sobbed and almost flung himself at Hisagi, wanting nothing more than hold the other one and be held in return.

Hisagi was confused at first, but on reflex he put his arms around Kira's now trembling body and store his back soothingly, feeling Kira's tears wet his Kimono. He didn't care about it, just kept stroking the younger one's back and hair, trying to comfort him in whatever way possible.

It took some time, but then Kira's tears stopped and he looked up to Hisagi with red eyes. He looked like a abandoned puppy right now.

Hisagi's heart ached when he saw that, and though the tears had stopped he kept holding Kira in his arms, petting his hair and placing a chaste kiss on Kira's forehead.
“Do you want to tell me?”, he asked slowly, his voice warm and caring.

Kira hesitated a few seconds and then nodded, moving to sit in Hisagi's lap so he could look the other one in the eyes. He inhaled and exhaled a few times and then started
”They...They hate it. They bet...bet how long we'll stay together. They...they say it's a disgrace that their superior is gay and that they won't accept it...”

Hisagi frowned and asked with a dangerous edge in his voice: “Who said so?”

“A...A guy in my division. I overheard a conversation when I headed here.”, Kira answered, burying his face in Hisagi's Kimono.

The older one started to pet him again. “But it was just a subordinate? Or Ichimaru-taichou, too?”
Hisagi didn't know the other taichou and couldn't quite figure him out. When Kira shook his head Hisagi felt himself ease up a bit. He couldn't stand intolerant people, especially when they were taichou or fukutaichou.
He kept petting Kira's hair, letting the other one talk about everything that had occurred today. He just listened and didn't say a word until Kira was finished.
Then he sighted and said: “So it seems like many people disapprove of our relationship, but as long as you're with me I won't back down. Hinamori and Renji and also our taichou don't seem to mind we're both man, so why should it bother us? I love you, and I won't stop that, just because some weaklings are to stubborn not to begrudge us. If I need to, I'll defend you from whoever attacks you. I don't allow you to be sad, because some idiots envy us our relationship.”
When he had finished he lifted Kira's face to look into his eyes. He smiled at him and gently placed a kiss on the other's lips.
“Whenever something like this occurs, don't run away, okay? Just tell them if they have a problem they can say it to you in person, or they can come to me, if they feel more comfortable that way.”

Kira nodded, his heart jumping in his chest. He smiled at Hisagi and snuggled closer to him.
“I love you.”, he whispered and closed his eyes. “You're so warm and caring. I always feel save when you're around. You can cheer me up with your mere presence.”

Hisagi smiled: “That's how it should be. I'll always defend you, remember that. I'll be there for you, you can come to me whenever you want.”

Kira just nodded and stayed cuddled against Hisagi's chest, inhaling the other's scent and enjoying the magic of the moment. It didn't take Kira long to fall asleep, all exhausted and lulled into sleep by Hisagi's presence.

The other one didn't bother to wake him, he simply lifted him up and carried him home.
He decided he'd stay at Kira's overnight, not caring what would happen the next day.