Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach nor any of its characters, all aspects of said manga/anime are owned by Tite Kubo and other affiliates.
Hello! Thanks for showing interest in this little story of mine. It's the first piece of work I have submitted to this website and I hope it's to your liking. Apologies for the brevity of this initial chapter, but if all goes well then I'll do my best to provide further chapters with more length and depth to them. Bear in mind that this is a relatively light hearted story however, and the M rating is mostly precautionary. I will make use of coarse language but I don't expect to be employing terribly adult themes. Thanks for your patience, and I hope you enjoy the story!
"Nanaooo-chaaaaan~"
The cry passed through the offices of the division. Somewhere behind seemingly interminable mounds of paperwork, a sigh was breathed, a brow furrowed and spectacles slid back to the bridge of a small nose.
"It's noon" she thought, standing up and brushing herself down, "I'm impressed he's even here."
Knowing looks were exchanged between subordinates as their lieutenant strode quietly through the office space. 3rd seat Tatsufusa Enjoji was interrupting the work of several unseated Shinigami who hadn't the heart to stop him, presumably regaling them with tales of his incredible fighting speed and prowess. Unacceptable. Without so much as a word, she loosed Bakudo number four: Hainawa and ensnared the truant Enjoji, not once breaking stride.
"Interrupt your own work if you must, 3rd seat Enjoji" she chided as he flopped to the floor immobilised, "but do not press your lamentable attitude upon the recruits."
"U-understood, lieutenant!" he whimpered as seated members of the 8th division, far more accustomed to his behaviour, carried him to his quarters in the barracks where he would brood until the spell wore off.
Nanao Ise was in no mood for the work-shy. She shook her head, wondering how thick Enjoji's skull must be given that this was the third time he'd been reprimanded in as many weeks. Returning to the matter at hand gave her little comfort. Enjoji may be work-shy, but the man whose call she was answering had rarely worked an hour in all the time that Nanao's clear memory permitted her recollection of. Said memory was extensive. Had the man been anyone but who he was, goodness only knows the sheer volume of Kido that she would have subjected him to by now. All the same, her duty lay with him as much as it did the management of the 8th division.
She delicately parted the shoji screen to reveal a room bathed in the warm light of a beautifully clear day. An exterior walkway graced the outside of the room and was itself adorned with petals here and there, carried from the overhanging cherry blossoms on the soft summer wind. For a moment, Nanao thought they were the source of the sweet fragrance wafting through the room. After another moment, she realised the scent was too strong to be emanating from the petals, beautiful though they were. She stepped out onto the walkway and found the source of the smell: sake. It was being sipped languidly by the source of the earlier cry: her captain, Shunsui Kyoraku.
"Ah, my cute Nanao-chan! I thought you were going to ignore me" he said from beneath his hat as he lay sprawled across the balcony.
"Perish the thought, captain" Nanao replied more curtly than she had intended. "What is it you require of me?"
The relaxed captain yawned lengthily, likely the most effort he had exerted in weeks, Nanao thought. He proceeded to pour another small cup of saké from a flask which he seemed to have drawn from nowhere. Captain Kyoraku never bore his sake in the public eye, certainly not while on the job. Despite appearances, he did possess some degree of decorum. But Nanao could never quite discern where he kept the alcohol on his person. He offered the oddly colourful liquid to his lieutenant, saying "Won't you enjoy this beautiful day with me, sweet Nanao-chan?"
Though she had no intention of consuming it, the drink's smell and hue piqued her curiosity. She took the cup in hand, examined its contents and inhaled the glorious scent. Strawberries.
"That must be why he is here at this hour" she thought to herself.
"It's strawberry-infused sake, isn't it marvellous?" he continued with contentment in his face and voice. "I wanted to enjoy it while the heat of the day lasts, so I came here not long before I called for you, my beautiful Nanao-chan. The lengths I go to for joy and relaxation, eh?" he added with a teasing wink.
Nanao blushed ever so slightly, though with the work she had done that morning her face was already flush. And he was right, the day was so cloudless and beautiful that as the sun descended it would likely get quite cold. "Thank you, captain. But you know I don't drink while on duty. Perhaps later".
Nanao would welcome refreshment on a day as hot as this, but she knew that sake would drag her work rate down for hours, not least because Kyoraku would refill her cup and insist she stay for another. Nanao could rarely deny Kyoraku any request outside of working hours, he could be a real charmer when he wasn't chasing skirts. But during working hours Nanao was incorrigibly committed to her work ethic and that of her division.
"You work so hard, precious Nanao-chan. You should set aside some time tonight for a relaxing drink with your handsome captain and his friends" Kyoraku grinned.
"I don't suppose these 'friends' will be the same women you always invite to your drinking parties, will they?" replied Nanao, swiftly going off the idea.
"I'm sure the ladies will be there. But I've been in such a good mood recently that I've even invited some gentlemen. Even I can't always accommodate all the ladies by myself" teased Kyoraku rather convincingly.
Nanao scoffed audibly. "I'm sure they're quite lost without you, captain"
"So cruel, Nanao-chan! To mock your dear captain!" Kyoraku whimpered, feigning offence as successfully as ever.
Nanao failed to contain a giggle, she found her captain adorable whenever he acted hurt with her. If she wasn't so committed to her professionalism, she would have laughed and embraced him. As it was, he rose and smiled at her.
"You will come, won't you?" he asked sincerely, the chirp in his voice abandoned for effect.
Nanao composed herself and repositioned her glasses. "I expect I shall, assuming there are no further disruptions I must attend to". The small lieutenant was dwarfed by her captain, especially so given his extravagant haori.
Kyoraku raised a sharp hand to his temple, exclaiming "By your order, ma'am!" with a childish grin on his face. Nanao matched it perfectly as she turned to return to her work. Her slim frame stepped quickly and delicately through the shoji screen where she had entered the room, leaving Kyoraku no time to determine whether or not he had the energy to take his broad hand and grace his lieutenant's ass with it. With a small bow and a brief meeting of eyes, Nanao closed the screen door and returned through the office, already looking forward to the night that lay ahead.