Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, nor do I own Shunsui (sigh) or Ukitake (double sigh).

Note: This is AU. And full of obscure Shun x Uki fluffiness. You have been warned xD. This started on a vague idea, with a vague idea of the ending. I hope you enjoy it! That's all I have to say for now x3

Rating: T

Summary: Ukitake's back from his job, exhausted, and Kyouraku has news for him...


He shrugged the white cloth of his shoulders, letting the soft, white material flow between his fingers; those, long, delicate fingers, so pale that they themselves seem to lose themselves in the whorls of white. Then, gently discarding it unto the back of a chair, where it hung forlornly, not to be touched until the next morning. Hmm. He had never seen such an elegant discarding of clothes. A smile curled on his brown, warm face, a chuckle rising from deep inside his throat. His gaze waited lazily until it met his…until that delicately pale face turned towards him.

"Hm…I like you wearing that blouse, you know…" he muttered in a soft, grave voice, with a look of serious consideration dawning on his own features. He sighed, and stretched slowly and leisurely on the sofa. "…Course…I like seeing you taking it off as well…But my! What haste! Do you not see how well white suits you? Hmm?" He considered getting up, but sprawled back in happy helplessness, the smile growing wider. "Isn't that so…Dr Jyuushiro?"

"Kyouraku…"

Everything that man touched, he noticed calmly, seemed to carry an air of solemn, lasting elegance. The way he came home from work, and got rid of anything that reminded him of it. The way he discarded that white blouse of his. The way that he now tilted his head slightly to one side, in a look where reproachfulness and warmth were delicately intertwined. Shunsui was still smiling when the pillow hit him in the face a few seconds later. "Ehhh?!" Another came bullet-speed, and another. "Hey! Uki--! Stop that…! Mff!"

An incredible force was pushing him up straight while he still recovered from the lightening pillow ambush; aiming, he realized, to put him in a sitting position. Shunsui aimed to become as much as a dead weight as possible, but the force was determined.

"Get off the sofa! I'm tired…" murmured a voice right next to him, into his ear. "You've been sleeping on this all day…"

Shunsui turned his head slightly, arching an eyebrow wryly; Ukitake could smell his warm breath a few centimeters from his face. A perfumed breath of saké, as usual…it made his head…spin. "Oh no…you're wrong! And do you know what is the penalty for being wrong?" muttered that voice. That rich, deep voice, that seemed to warm his very bones…and ensnare his mind. He could not think straight any more. Was he that tired?

"Get…off…" Ukitake fought back, feeling his will weakening; feeling drowsy. "You're always inventing…things…"

"Oh no…some things just cannot be invented…" Jyuushiro looked up into the face opposite him, silently. His warm, brown eyes met those amused, glittering green eyes. Always half-closed, always tranquil…and glimmering with quiet happiness…or, as it came, sadness. Strange…thought Jyuushiro tonight. Is it happiness…or sadness?

"And that penalty…?" he replied carefully, like a disapproving child. Wondering, as he did now, who was the most childish amongst the both of them.

"Oh." Shunsui smiled slowly. "I've just invented that."

"Then what…?"

Shunsui suddenly stood up, in one fluid movement, and Ukitake, caught off balance, fell into the sofa, with hardly a muffle murmur of surprise. Sinking into the soft, warm material felt good. He let his arm dangle along the side of the sofa, idly. Mm. Idleness. A habit it was forbidden not to acquire in Kyouraku Shunsui's company. Even more when sharing a flat with him. The said Kyouraku Shunsui, idly sprawling just a moment ago, was striding lightly towards the kitchen, with a parting, singing phrase.

"Then what should you do? You should stay here and wait till I make you a cup of tea…"

"Mm…tea, neh? Not saké…don't think I don't notice, neh?" he murmured into the pillows; hiding the sudden air of peacefulness that was washing onto his face, breathing in the warm, intoxicating fragrance of the man who had been lying there only moments ago. His eyes roamed quietly over the rest of the room. Over the simple white paint on the wall (he had painted it), that had then been painted over with pictures of lush, colourful vegetation, birds, flowers, stars…(Shunsui had deemed it more respectable towards the wall. Ukitake did not insist) . Over the table in the centre where they had their meals (Shunsui strangely insisted that he was not able to cook but always managed to make him a surprise takeaway lunch on some mornings where he was running late. And it was always delicious; Shunsui put it down to luck.) Over the two camp beds on either side of the room (Shunsui called it "a waste of space" to have them so far apart. Ukitake usually did not have a single clue of what he was talking about.) and the desk in the corner (where Ukitake's various highly respectable papers got mixed around with Shunsui's highly disrespectful poems). It was not much – if you also counted the small kitchen, and the bathroom. But it was…somewhere. Anywhere. In this town…in this world…Ukitake closed his eyes.

I don't want…to look back…I don't want to face the…

Whiteness…

This feeling…of slipping away…

"Here you go ~ Ukitake?"

He looked down at the figure lying curled up on the sofa; eyes closes, lips slightly parted…and eyebrows slightly creased. In a mute, silent pain. His hand clasped in a half-hearted fist. Shunsui's own hand now slowly reached, and touched his head; the white, silky hair…He attached it before going to work. Of course he did. It was a question of hygiene, in a hospital, right? But it was so beautiful…he was so beautiful…And I am so selfish, he though, with a quiet smile, easing gently at the ribbon holding the pure white strands together.

"Shunsui…? What are you doing…?"

The pale hand clasped his own sun-brown one, firmly…it was warm, that hand. Feverishly warm. He eased it calmly away. It slipped away so easily, so effortlessly that Shunsui felt almost shame as he uttered the words.

"Giving you your tea."

"Why was I wrong…? What was I wrong about, already…?"

"Jyuushiro…you…" He sighed, slowly. "You're very ill, I think…Drink this, and go to sleep. I'll tell you tomorrow. You're not going to work tomorrow."

"Don't patronize me…please..."

"I am not patronizing, I am commanding. If someone is going to work tomorrow, it is not you."

There was a moment of silence.

"Hey. Your tea's getting cold."

Ukitake rushed up suddenly in an upright position, eye-to-eye level with Shunsui kneeling on the side and almost upsetting the teacup in that sudden, flowing movement. The ribbon that Shunsui had already partly eased off now loosened completely, letting the white hair tumble down onto its owner's shoulders. Shunsui did not know which to smile at first – the sudden freedom of the hair whose tips were tickling his skin, or the sudden realization.

"You have a job…! Shunsui!" Ukitake was now smiling; that smile on his pale, drawn face was like a ray of spring sunshine on a beautiful yet frozen wintry landscape…making the snow glitter in the light. "I knew you could…see how rewarding it is! You really…" His voice faltered as a laughing Shunsui pushed him back into the sofa, making him drink his tea.

"You're really like a child! It's dangerous to be excited so easily!" he laughed softly, shaking his head as his eyes glittered sparks of green, amused. But the green eyes softened as much as his laugh, turning into a smile. "I didn't do it…for me…" he muttered under his breath.

"Hmm?" Ukitake looked up, sipping his tea, looking suddenly concerned. "Shunsui…you know…I can handle work just fine! You're not doing this for me…I don't want you to…" He shook his head slowly, closing his eyes, his skin slightly pink – and burning to the touch, perhaps, thought Shunsui. He took a deep breath…and smiled.

"Heh heh…It's good to be active, go around…meet beautiful girls…You aren't jealous, are you?" he teased, laughing a bit more than he expected to. Ukitake watched him, with half-closed eyes, a smile on his face again.

"Jealous…? Ha ha…stop inventing things again…" he said calmly; in his voice a lasting elegance, a lasting sadness…And suddenly, he was falling forwards into Shunsui's arms and they stayed there for one moment, silent. Shunsui liked hearing the slow, steady rhythm of Jyuushiro's breath as he slept. The cup rolled on the side, empty. Well. The extra saké he'd added in seemed to have helped him off to sleep, in any case…Maybe he'd known, and chosen to drink it anyway, to humor him…or maybe he had not noticed. He would never know…As, perhaps, so many other things…

Something flitted at the window, behind the curtains. He could see it out of the edge of his vision. He saw it sometimes. That pure dark butterfly, flitting in and out in the dusk, at the window. Even when the window was open, it never came in. Shame. He liked butterflies…although he'd never seen one quite like this before. But he turned away. He liked moments like this…where he could just hold that limp, frail thing in his arms. And closing his own eyes.

I just feel myself slipping away from you…

Into whiteness…

Something's coming…coming this way…and it comes, and it goes…

When Shunsui looked back, the butterfly was gone.

And no matter what, I don't want to lose you.


Next Chapter: In which Shunsui's job is discovered, and chaos ensues.