Disclaimer: Yeah, no. I'd probably make a mess of things anyway.

"Nanao, there is only one rule I have for this trip." The ginger haired woman smiled at her best friend. "This weekend, you are going to have fun. I don't care what it takes!"

Neon Lights

Nanao was painfully aware that it was now daylight, as she felt the sun rays burning into her closed eyelids. She grimaced, wondering where the slight pounding in her skull was coming from, knowing she couldn't have possibly had that much to drink the night before.

To further attempt to delude herself on that theory, she opened her eyes to glance around, only to slam them shut again just as quickly. She groaned slightly as the instant white shot straight to her head, and she brought up a hand to rub at her temple. What idiot left the curtains open?

Not minding the fact that this was her room and she was probably the culprit, Nanao decided that opening her eyes right now was definitely a bad idea. She threw her arm over her eyes and took a few breaths to calm herself. At least the pounding in her head wasn't that bad. She still felt a little disoriented for some reason though, and she had to marvel at herself for once at being slightly slow on the uptake.

Was she really hung over? Hell, the last time she allowed it to get that bad was back when her and Rangiku were in college. She had been less straight laced in those days, and she had always felt the need to accompany Rangiku on her party urges, if only to keep an eye on her. Still, even if it had been a while, she couldn't say that she didn't feel a little good about it. She sighed softly. It was nice to unwind once in a while.

She smiled a little, the pounding in her head receding even as she thought about it. It wasn't even that bad. She had probably only drank enough to get a light buzz before crashing. Finding no harm in that, she leaned farther back into her pillow with every intention of catching a few more hours of sleep. She didn't get to sleep in very often. At least, that was the plan until she both heard and felt sheets rustling beside her.

She froze.

She shot up instantly, forgetting about catching more sleep and keeping her eyes closed. She was aware of the cool air on her skin from the humming air conditioner in the corner of the room, and from what her eyes could make out of the deformed sheets on the other side of the bed, she realized she definitely wasn't alone. She also realized she wasn't wearing anything.

She blinked. The shuffling continued, and she noticed that whoever this tenant was next to her was now awake. Reaching over to the nightstand for her glasses, she squinted her eyes for a second while everything came into focus.

He was looking at her, and when she met his eyes she couldn't help but think they were the most beautiful shade of amber she had ever seen.

The both said nothing for a minute, so Nanao took the opportunity to glance over her catch. Or maybe she was his catch. She didn't really know at the moment. Some things were still a little hazy.

He had dark hair that splayed about his pillow, naturally wavy she noted. The slight stubble on his chin made him seem somewhat rugged, and Nanao thought she did pretty well in retrospect. She faintly remembered getting a few drinks at the bar with Rangiku and then finding out she had bailed on her shortly after. She remembered being joined after that, and flashes of pink stuck out in her mind. She took a quick glance about the room and saw the pink Hawaiian style he wore last night slung over the chair near the table.

It was also noted that this was not her room.

Looking back at him, she found the particular smile on his face amusing. He was propped up on one arm now, and she found it a little strange that she didn't feel the slightest bit embarrassed. It was almost like she had known the man for years. He did look somewhat familiar, but she attributed that to the fact that she wound up here last night. She couldn't really be sure.

"Good morning." His voice was still slightly husky from sleep, and Nanao found herself giving him a small smile in return.

"Good morning."

She was proud of herself that she wasn't panicking. Actually, she was feeling pretty good right now. Her headache was already gone, whisked away with her grogginess. Rangiku was right. She had needed this. Maybe she did work too much.

Her best friend's words echoed in her ears for a second, and Nanao inwardly chuckled. She didn't think that Rangiku had meant it quite this way, but knowing that woman, maybe that was exactly what she meant. Whatever the case, Nanao wasn't going to complain. She didn't even care that she couldn't remember this man's name.

For her birthday, Rangiku insisted on stealing Nanao away, claiming she needed a break. They had hopped on the next flight out, and now they were planning on spending their four day weekend here in Vegas. There was nothing on the agenda but having a good time. So far, only one solid day into the trip, it was turning out quite pleasant. Today was Saturday, and she didn't have to be back into the office until Tuesday. She was going to enjoy her time while she had it.

"I'm going to take a shower."

And with that, she got up from her cocoon of blankets and walked across the room to the bathroom, picking up her stray garments as she went.

-

-

Nanao emerged from the steamy bathroom feeling very content. The hot water had felt wonderful, and now that she was refreshed, she was ready for another day. She spied her hair clip over on the dresser, and as she did her hair in front of the attached mirror, she glanced at the scene behind her.

He had gotten dressed and was now sitting on the edge of the bed, using his arms to prop him up. The bed was still unmade, but she saw that he had closed the curtains. Maybe he was feeling the drinks a little more than her. He was wearing another pink shirt, which she found odd, as the one from yesterday was still slung across the chair.

He was smiling at her, and she couldn't help but smile back. It was contagious. He really was a handsome man. While waking up with a strange man that you didn't even know the name of would trouble most people, she just took it in stride. She couldn't make herself feel ashamed even if she wanted to. She wondered if he remembered more than she did. She didn't recall ever getting his name, but that could just be the after effects talking.

She was jolted out of her thoughts, however, as she heard the tell-tale sound of a keycard being swiped and the handle of the door being turned. Nanao barely had time to turn around before a figure she recognized all too well walked into the room, only to slow to a stop as she took in her surroundings.

Lisa Yadomaru.

Lisa, as in her former mentor, Lisa. Nanao could only stare wide eyed as she watched the woman glance around until her eyes landed on her former pupil.

"Nanao." Her voice was flat, like her normal tone, and Nanao wondered what the older woman was thinking right at this moment. She was slightly surprised to see her herself, and she wanted to know if the other felt the same. Obviously this wasn't the best time to be meeting again. She watched her eyes trail over to the bed. "Shunsui."

Nanao let the name sink in, and she instantly knew why he had looked familiar to her. Shunsui. As in Shunsui Kyouraku, the co-owner of one of the finest restaurant chains in the world. Shunsui Kyouraku, Lisa's fiancé.

Oh boy.

Whatever way she looked at this, it wasn't good. No matter how good both of them could lie, it was pretty clear what had happened here. She blinked. Nanao could honestly say that this was the most awkward few minutes she'd experienced her entire life.

Well, for one thing, she knew that whatever was about to happen in this room she wanted no part of. She looked at the floor as she spoke in a soft tone. "I think I should probably leave." To her relief, nobody said anything as she approached the door and opened it, pacing herself as she walked away. If she had any less control, she might've broke out into a run.

What a great way to start the day that was. Still, even though it hadn't ended on a particularly well note, she still couldn't find it in herself to regret it. That, in itself, was a small miracle. She did feel slightly bad about it, for what the consequence might be, but it was too late to change it now. Besides, there were two consenting parties anyway.

Belatedly, as she reached the elevator and hit the button for the main floor, she realized that today was her birthday.

-

-

"It's nine-thirty in the morning and you're drinking?"

Nanao just looked at her friend blankly. She was one to talk. Usually though, this conversation happened the other way around. She didn't particularly care, however, as she sat at the hotel's bar this early in the morning. She had just needed a drink, and this brand of gin happened to be really good. It tasted nothing like pine needles.

Faintly, she recalled a country type song she heard in the casino yesterday, something about it being five o'clock somewhere, and decided to ignore Rangiku. It wasn't like she was any better most days.

Nanao shrugged in response to her question as Rangiku slid into the stool beside her. It was a bit odd to see the normally uptight woman drinking at all, but after what happened this morning, she thought she deserved it. She stayed quiet for a few minutes as her friend studied her, idly watching the lime in her drink circle in the cup while she stirred.

Rangiku must have seen something changed in her, she thought, or maybe Rangiku wasn't feeling as good as she looked. In any case, she didn't question her actions further, and for that Nanao was glad. She even ordered a drink to match, and she recalled that Rangiku liked to overuse the phrase 'you shouldn't drink alone'.

They sat in a peaceful silence for a while until Nanao asked something she had been wondering all night. "So where did you disappear to last night?"

Rangiku gave her a small grin, and it reached her eyes as Nanao saw a pair of arms snake around her friends waist. Looking up, she saw none other than Gin Ichimaru smiling at her, which was nothing out of the ordinary.

"I'm afraid that one is my fault."

Nanao just shook her head and chuckled lightly. She should have known. She had to wonder if it was mere coincidence that they met up here, or if the grinning man had planned it. It was hard to tell with him. Still, it didn't matter much to her, and it was worth it to see the pure happiness in Rangiku's face. As far as she knew, Rangiku had been in love with him since before they finished college.

She went back to nursing her drink as the pair fell into conversation, not wanting to disturb them. They didn't get to see each other much anymore with him flying to all different countries for business. She wasn't sure what he did, but she figured if he could take time out to come see her friend, then that was good enough for her.

She was pulled out of her musings as she heard Rangiku stop talking. Glancing over at her, she saw the look being directed towards her and set her drink down. "What about you, Nanao? What did you do last night? I really want to know if it made you start drinking this early." Not that she wouldn't want to know anyway, but that was besides the point.

"Oh nothing much. The usual." She took a casual drink again, almost wanting to laugh at the situation. What was the chance the two of them were staying the whole weekend? "Stayed the night with a man, who happened to be my old mentor's fiancé. You remember Lisa don't you?"

Nanao saw Rangiku's jaw drop, and it caused her lip to quirk up. It really shouldn't be as funny as it was, but she really couldn't help it.

"You mean Shunsui Kyouraku?"

Nanao sighed. "The one and only." She watched her friend compose herself a little before sighing again. "So yes, I've probably just broken up an engagement, lost all respect I've ever earned from my first role model, and this whole thing will probably make the papers in a few days. All before ten o'clock."

It sounded worse when she said it out loud than when she said it in her head. Still, she couldn't shake the amused feeling she got. She must not be doing too bad if she could catch Shunsui Kyouraku, even if it was just a one time fling. She hoped it wasn't the alcohol talking already. She supposed it didn't matter much, as she was taking everything in stride. Maybe she should stay clear of the casino today though, just in case, as her luck didn't appear to be that good.

Rangiku didn't say anything, and Nanao looked at her only to see both her and Gin looking past Nanao's shoulder towards the entrance to the bar. She turned in her seat, only to find a pair of familiar amber orbs gazing at her. In this situation, Nanao spoke the first thing that came to her mind.

"Well I'll be damned."

-

-

Shunsui didn't really know exactly what he was doing here in the hotel bar. Well, he did, but as soon as he caught sight of the woman he only knew as Nanao, he had a slight change in plans. He couldn't say that he hadn't hoped she might be here, but it seemed that his luck might be turning around.

This morning hadn't played out the best. He had been surprised Lisa had shown up. They had not made plans to go together, as she had prior engagements elsewhere, or so she said. The truth of the matter was that Shunsui knew she had been seeing another man for months. He had a feeling that she knew he knew too, so really he didn't get too worked up about it. Neither of them were happy with their current situation anyway.

Because of the success of the business, the press had been focusing a sharper lens on the two co-owners of their chain. Once it had been established that Jushiro was to be married to Retsu this fall, the camera turned their lens onto him. He was a bit sorry to say that his reputation had caught up with him by then, mainly establishing him a flirt and a skirt chaser. This didn't bother him personally in the least, but after talking it over with his soon to be married friend, they both agreed that it could be bad for business.

Thus, the engagement was born.

It was all coincidence really. Lisa and he had worked together for many years. She was promoted to his chief financial officer when they opened the business, and they had known each other for many years before that. They were good friends, but Shunsui could honestly say that he didn't have any romantic notions towards her. The engagement had been her idea in the first place. It was an easy way out, and while both of them weren't totally into it, they weren't totally against it either.

If it got the press out of their hair, he didn't really care. However, he knew it wasn't that fair to either of them, so when he found out that she did have another lover elsewhere, he didn't cause a fuss. He just continued to be what he always was when the press had mainly dispersed. There was a reason that they never formally announced a date.

It was never fun walking in on something though, and Shunsui was glad that Nanao had already showered and dressed by the time she got there. They had talked about it after Nanao left, and decided that they probably shouldn't keep up the act anymore. So as of right now, Shunsui was single again.

As he watched the woman staring back and him from the bar, he couldn't help but smile a little bit. He had heard about this Nanao from Lisa quite a few times, but he did not imagine her to be as she was. He found himself wanting to get to know more about this fiery woman he met last night who kept herself in check behind glass frames and fancy up-dos.

He made his way towards her, and to her credit, she didn't stiffen up at all. In fact, she looked more relaxed than he would think most women to be in this situation.

He sat down next to her and held out his hand. "I don't believe we've officially met. I'm Shunsui."

He watched as she eyed his hand with a narrowed look. She looked back up at him and shook. "Nanao."

He smiled brightly at her, and he caught the hint of a smile emerging on her face.

"Well, Nanao, what do you say to breakfast?"

Besides, he should probably have a chance to explain what was going on. That, and even if she didn't want to get to know him more, it was a nice gesture to buy a woman breakfast the morning after.

This time, she did smile, and she even let out a small laugh. "I think I'd like that."

-Fin

Because everyone has one, and I wanted one. Classic plot devices are a bit hard to pass up. Also, it is two thirty in the morning for me right now, so Happy Birthday Nanao.

It is late. I am tired. But I wanted to update something for at least one of their birthdays, and it woudln't really leave me alone. So I stayed up to write it. I'm in a good mood despite that, as it can perhaps be seen by my poor attempt at humor. Slight humor. Maybe. I had a good day at work, so that's what accounts for that. I got a new membership, and a renewal. A lot of emails too, and a got a handsell. At the register. Those books are usually sold by the people on the bookfloor. I'm not even on a handsell team, but I got a point. I'm not sure what I'll get for it, if anything. I'm just a cafe worker. But hey, whatever works.

Also, gin and Gin are not the same thing. I was kinda laughing as I worked on that part. I randomly picked a drink, and it happened to be a gin and tonic. I am not endorsing alcohol, by the way, but if you get a bad gin, it can taste like pine needles.

Oh, check out my profile for information on the celebration for Shunsui and Nanao from their Fanclub at the Bleach Asylum.

On a final note, the title has nothing to do with the fic itself, I realized.

Comment if you feel like doing so. -WV