This is my LoveLove Challenge piece. Just because I waited until the last day doesn't mean anything...-.-' So I've been...well, okay. I don't have a very good excuse. I am working on the next bit of SotS though, so no worries.

This is a different fic, as I used a sentence-fic theme to write out the plot. They are roughly connected, but some of them might not be in transcending order. The little chant in this means "Demon's out, Luck in!" In case any were wondering.

Good, not good? Let me know.

-KG

All In A Day

Morning

Nanao knew from the very moment she woke up that today would not be a normal day, especially since Setsubun could possibly be knocking at her door at any moment, in the form of her over-excited captain, of course.

Sight

Nanao would usually not take care to dress up for any occasion (especially if her captain insisted), but she didn't miss his stunned look of adoration and awe when she walked into the office wearing one of her soft, pink silk kimonos.

First

The first thing Shunsui did when Nanao had appeared in the office was attempt to engulf her in a tight embrace, but unfortunately for him, she had been ever-ready with her trusted fan, which he noticed was also designed to fit the occasion as it came into contact with his face.

Protection

"Of course I must accompany you, dear Nanao-chan, or how could I sleep knowing that some brigand could have tried to accost you on your perilous journey to the market!"

Flag

The thought that his pink haori was like a proud banner flitted across her mind as she followed him through the division, wondering if he was going to volunteer to wear the Oni later today.

Crush

A few soybeans crumbled unconsciously in her palm as she thought about those that had fallen and would not be able to celebrate with them this year; still, they were in a state of war, and it shouldn't have surprised her that their numbers were less.

Pondering

Sometime during the day she wondered if things would've been a lot different if Lisa was still around to coordinate these things instead of her, but she stopped when she noticed that there was a dull ache that seemed to flare up at the thought that there was someone else more than capable of taking her place.

Disbelief

"Nanao-chan, why are you looking at me like that as if you're so surprised that I haven't drank a drop of sake yet today?"

Appearance

There wasn't much different about him (being still dressed and unshaven as usual), but she couldn't deny that the way the midday February sun glinted on him just so made him seem more attractive than she ever thought before.

Touch

It was just the slightest brushing of their hands, so Nanao had no idea why her heartbeat had suddenly became rebellious and started fluttering against her chest against her will.

Battlefield

Some days it seemed like the everyday course of action they took was a war zone, as every little thing seemed to remind the both of them of what they once had and once lost, or rather who instead of what.

Defense

She watched as the demon-like ornament she had been….eluding others behind (no it wasn't hiding, darn it), was pulled from in front of her by an amused looking captain, signaling that one of her last lines of defense was now decimated.

Acceptance

As she watched him floating about the room and lightly flirting with some newer recruits, it was hard for Nanao to come to terms that she might never be good enough after all, even if she did wish she was.

Notice

"Juu…I've done almost everything to get her attention and- don't look at me that way, I wasn't flirting with them on purpose."

Points

"Sir, I do not believe that mistletoe is the appropriate foliage for Setsubun."

Eyes

She flinched slightly and was about to retaliate with her fan when he reached up to remove her glasses because she hated to be so exposed, but upon seeing the hesitation on his face and that look in his eyes, surprisingly, she let him.

Mother

She had never really thought of Lisa as a motherly figure, but as she watched a mother and her child holding hands and skipping towards one of the public events, soybeans in the other, she couldn't help but think maybe she had been.

Family

As the Division celebration was being set up, she couldn't help but feel more at home than she had in many, many years, despite being in the Eighth since she was a small child.

Distractions

"Nanao-chan, there will be no paperwork to keep you occupied today, so stop looking so forlornly in the direction of the office and come sit with me."

Reunion

As she and her captain entered the shrine, starting up a tradition between them that would last too many years to count, she couldn't help but feel connected to all those they had lost, and she didn't mind the feeling of being so complete.

Trust

"Believe me, Nanao-chan, today you are going to enjoy yourself."

Discovery

As the chants of "Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!" rang out as the Division participated in the cleansing ritual of throwing beans at their volunteers, Nanao found that she was indeed having a good time.

Embers

As the main event was finished, the division took a short while to sit around the fire and relax before they went off to bless their own homes to ward off evil spirits, and Nanao thought that at this point she wouldn't mind sitting here until the flames died out.

Flames

She watched the fire light dance across his face and couldn't help the shiver that came over her when she caught the look he was sending her way.

Question

When he asked her heads or tails, she responded tails without thinking much to it, not really realizing that he must have an ulterior motive to something as simple as that.

Tossing

'What exactly are you flipping for' were the last words she spoke before holding her breath, watching as her chosen side summersault through the air.

Turning

She watched as he uncovered the hand that caught the coin, as it turned up tails, and as there was suddenly no room between them, and she had little time for breathing.

Caress

Nanao may have been fairly tense and strict in nature, but that didn't stop her from running her hands through his silky hair and down the sides of his face while he kissed her.

Blazing

She didn't know exactly what she was thinking when they broke apart, but seeing the loving look he was giving her, she really didn't care anymore; besides, she was positive her own eyes were aglow.

Devotion

As Nanao finally allowed herself to relax while she sat in Shunsui's arms in front of the fire, she felt immediately relieved that all his prior declarations of undying love had not been for naught and had mirrored hers.

Knowledge

She smiled softly as they headed home, together this time, and thought that perhaps this Setsubun had not been as bad as she once thought, especially under these new circumstances.

-Fin