Toast does not own Bleach, never has, and never will.

Dedication: For my sister, who's most definitely Nanao-chan. I hope one day she finds her Shunsui and myself as Ukitake can sit back and watch her with a smile.

Love is a Funny Thing

Nanao Ise didn't know when she had fallen in love with her captain. As she watched Shunsui sleep, his chest wrapped in bandages. A single tear fell from her violet eyes, which she quickly wiped away. She would not cry.

Shunsui was still recovering from his battle with the Espada. He'd defeated his enemy then promptly passed out from loss of blood. Nanao remembered when the wounded had been brought back to the Seireitei, and how Kiyone had come stumbling into the 8th Division office with the news of her captain's injuries. Nanao had nearly flown to the 4th Division Hospital.

Ukitake had visited earlier, said it was wrong for Shunsui the one to be in the hospital. He had sat with Shunsui for several hours but was then was forced to leave for some of the more pressing matters he had to attend to in his own Division. Nanao had been in the hospital room for several hours before Ukitake had entered and had stayed there for several hours after Ukitake left.

Nanao's head snapped up as she heard the door open and Matsumoto and Hinamori walked in. "Nanao," Matsumoto said quietly, "you need to leave." Nanao shook her head stubbornly.

"Nanao-san," Hinamori said, "you need to rest. You can visit again in a few hours." Nanao shook her head, her eyes still fixed on her captain.

"Nanao," Matsumoto said, shaking the violet eyed fukutaichou. "You need a break. Come on." With that she grabbed Nanao, who protested vehemently, and dragged her from the hospital.

"Rangiku!" exclaimed Nanao as Matsumoto pulled her farther away from the hospital, Hinamori in close pursuit behind her. "Let me go back!"

"No," Matsumoto said, "you need some time out of the hospital."

Nanao sighed and gave in, too tired to protest much more. Matsumoto and Hinamori dropped her at her apartment, and told her to get some sleep. Nanao stumbled into her apartment and collapsed on the bed, fully clothed. She fell asleep soon afterward, thinking on her captain.

-o-

After a few hours of uneasy sleep on Nanao's part, she had dressed in a new uniform and gone back to the hospital and sat in Shunsui's hospital room, staring at him. She watched him for hours, and without meaning to, started to drift to sleep. When Shunsui opened his eyes, the first person he saw was his Nanao-chan. He smiled, she looked exhausted. He struggled to sit up.

"Kyoraku-taichou!" exclaimed Nanao, waking up from his movement. Before she knew what she was doing she had thrown herself at him, hugging him.

"My beautiful Nanao-chan," Kyoraku said softy, smiling, "I'm fine."

Nanao looked up and said in her fiercest tone, "Don't ever scare me like that again!"

"My Nanao-chan's words wound me even more then the Espada's blade," Kyoraku said jokingly. "I wasn't trying to scare you Nanao-chan." Nanao shook her head and hugged him again. Kyoraku patted her back, smiling at the fact she hadn't hit him yet.

Ise Nanao wasn't sure when she had fallen in love with her captain. And to be honest, she didn't really care.

My first fanfic of the new year. I've been reading to much ShunNanao for my own good. ^^ I love this couple, its meant to be. ^^

-Mistress ToastWeasel