A gentle prodding against his reiatsu made him grudgingly open his eyes, right before Yama-jii turned his head to make sure he was awake. He shot a grateful look at his fukutaichou, if the old man caught him snoozing during an "important" meeting one more time, supposedly he was going to take away his fukutaichou for a week and make him do all the paperwork. Shunsui wasn't really sure that he believed him, his Nanao-chan was way too integral to the division for her to just disappear for a week. There were tons of reasons that this threat was a terrible idea, he had come up with lots of arguments just in case Yammamaoto ever tried to enforce the issue, but the chance of loosing his Nanao was the worst. It was odd, how intwined they had become. He supposed that being in near constant contact with someone for close to two hundred years had some side effects. It was an odd sort of dance they had developed. He knew absolutely certainly that he loved his Nanao-chan, and also that she loved him back, but they loved in their own special way. They had dug themselves into a comfortable little rut, and though everyday was different, they still had a very set routine. He would wake up in the morning, around nine generally, much earlier than anyone in the whole of the Seretei would believe, and speant the two to three hours loafing about the house, all while monitoring his Nanao-chans reiatsu carefully, taking total joy in watching her go about her day. He got those hours to himself just to observe her, with no interruptions. The lower officers of the eighth division always learned promptly that there was no hope in contacting the captain before noon. They just assumed that he was sleeping in because he was a lazy drunkard, and he encouraged this rumor as it let him relish his morning hours. There was never the droll burden of paperwork, nor of any social obligations or responsibilities. Just him and his Nanao-chan, it was even better than sleeping in. He knew that Nanao knew how he spent his mornings, and the fact that she never complained spoke volumes about their relationship.
Then, when he could no longer stand to be away from her, to only feel her through her reiatsu, he would get up and amble into the office. If there was anyone in the office she would chuck some small, light object in his general direction and chastise him for being late. If there was someone within hearing distance, she would chastise him, but they both new that she didn't mean it in the slightest. And if he managed to show up on his very favorite days, when there was nobody around, if he managed to show up in between the times the secretaries actually got around to leaving for lunch – they always sat around gossiping for the longest time – and when the rest of the division got back from lunch, he would just walk in and shut the door behind him, and she would brush her reiatsu against his softly and smile. Those were the best. Then he would brandish the lunch he brought her almost everyday by popping in at the mess on his way into the office. She didn't even try to get lunch anymore, she knew he would bring her lunch. Every couple of weeks or so, he would kidnap her to 'save' her from her paperwork he would to tell her, even though he just wanted to spend time with her. He always took her to her favorite Udon restaurant, located in the 24th district. It was far enough away from the Seretei that nobody would recognize the leaders of the eighth division, yet close enough to avoid Shunsui going into overprotective mode, and not being able to relax. On these days they would just take two hours off and chat about entirely non-work related topics, everything from books to arguing about the pros and cons of certain zodiac symbols.
When ever they got back from lunch, he would spread out on the window seat, the one that he had installed when his Nanao-chan was a little girl so that she could read in his presence, hat tilted over his head to block the glare of the sun and feign sleep. Really he would just watch his Nanao-chan. The furl in her eyebrow from whenever she had to write anything that involved the mission reports. The slight frown when one of the lower officers would bring in her tea, because they never made it how she liked it. Only he knew how to perfectly make her tea to her satisfaction. The sight of her dead set face when muscling through budgets. It was during budget week that she would glance over at him the most often, he suspected she was just bored to tears with the paperwork. He was pretty sure she knew he was watching her most of the time, but every now and then he could watch her when she let the last of her shield's down, and it was those moments he lived for.
"Those rare smiles are a gateway to her soul, and her eyes the gateway to her mind," he had once said while waxing poetic to Jyuu, "every time I see one, I get that much closer to understanding her.". His best friend had just rolled his eyes, having already heard variations on this several times over the decades. During times like these, watching her unguarded face he could see how she truly loathed paperwork, and the longing that was etched all over her face when she took a glance out the window. Generally when he saw this he would make sure to drag her outside for a short break, with much outwardly protesting, but filled with internal glee. He could tell, it radiated off her reiatsu in waves, her step was lighter and bouncier, but only slightly. All of the changes were subtle, she worked hard to maintain her image, and she was quite good at this act.
Then it was her favorite part of the day. Well after six, after everyone else had long gone home or to bars, Nanao would start to pack up, and Shunsui would too. He would ask her to accompany him to a local bar, as was the custom, and she would curtly say no, as was the custom. He would ask to walk her home. He would then walk her home, whether or not she said yes or no, because her answer didn't actually matter. He walked her to her door ever evening when they weren't at the Fourth or on a mission. Those were the only things strong enough to drag them out of their pattern. Then upon arriving at her house, he would say goodnight, and begin the walk either to a -
Again, a gentle prodding of reiatsu on his snapped his head up and opened his eyes up, just in time for Yammamoto to shoot a glance over in his direction. He shot another grateful glance over at his fukutaichou, and she just rolled her eyes. He gave a small smile, then went back to pretending that he gave a crap about what Yama-jii was saying.
After the meeting had finally ended, he and his Nanao-chan were walking back to the division, in a comfortable silence, one that had been developed over the last 200 years, when his Nanao-chan looked up at him, and asked,
"What were you thinking about, sir, during the meeting? You were dozing off more than normal in that meeting, I'm sure Yammamoto-sama knew, he just didn't call you on it."
"Of the unusual,", he replied airily, "you mainly."
She just snorted, rolled her eyes, and continued back to the division with him.