I do not own Bleach.
When he first saw you, he immediately thought of a closed/sleeping flower.
You were beautiful, that was undeniable. However, your eyes were mostly cold and devoid of emotion and you didn't speak much. You were indifferent to most things, distant, and respectful. Your expression was apathetic almost all the time. Your mannerisms kind of reminded him of Byakuya Kuchichi, the noble taichou (captian) of the 6th division.
You were new to the 13th division, graduating from the Shinoureijutsuin (Spiritual Arts) Academy (sometimes called the Shinigami Academy) in less than a year — a feat completed before only by former 3rd division taichou Gin Ichimaru. You were talented and strong, already having achieved shikai (initial release). You were already a seated officer and you were quickly becoming a potential candidate for the fukutaichou (lieutenant) position.
Because of your potential and steep learning and growth (of power) curve, Jyuushirou Ukitake taichou often asked you to have a cup of tea with him when you brought him papers to sign to get to know you better. It became sort of a routine with you two, having tea while he signed papers.
He found that you weren't really cold at all. You were just shy — really shy. And quiet. You enjoyed the peace and serenity of silence, but didn't mind answering questions that were directed at you — as long as they weren't anything embarrassing. Whenever you asked him something, even if it was just a general, small thing (i.e. How are you doing today?), Ukitake gave you a brilliant smile and happily answered.
And little by little, he started to see you opening your petals and blossoming.
You opened up to Ukitake slowly; it was almost painstakingly slow. He learned that you liked to draw, play the koto (a Japanese stringed musical instrument), and that you enjoyed taking walks. Sometimes you would even play the koto beautifully for him during the teatime that both of you shared, which he always thanked you with a gentle smile.
Ukitake also found that you were fond of children. More than once he stumbled upon you with Yachiru Kusajishi, the young fukutaichou of the 11th division, in your lap. Sometimes you would be reading her a story, playing some games with her, or simply be stroking her hair as Yachiru took a nap on your lap. Ukitake also occasionally saw Hitsugaya Toushirou, the taichou of the 10th division, conversing with you and even once saw you affectionately patting Toushirou's head without him getting angry and yelling/demanding that you to treat him as a taichou like he demanded of others.
Eventually Ukitake and yourself started taking walks together after the paperwork was done, whenever he felt well enough, didn't have a taichou's meeting, or other taichou duties. Sometimes you brought in and showed him some drawings you managed to complete, which were mostly of flowers and landscapes. Ukitake complimented your talents and occasionally asked if he could keep a drawing.
After some effort, he finally managed to see you smile. It was small, but there.
It took his breath away.
He became aware that you were blossoming into a beautiful flower.
You started smiling more around Ukitake, which he couldn't be thankful enough for. Whenever he saw you smile at him, it felt like nothing else mattered. The paperwork, the training — all of it could wait. Ukitake couldn't help but stare in wonder and he would feel an amazing warmth and contentment seizing his heart and spreading outward when you smiled at him.
After a couple of months, you finally managed to become his fukutaichou and he was happy.
However, much to Ukitake's dismay, he noticed that others — mostly men — started noticing you too. The person that they thought was a cold and distant fukutaichou wasn't so cold at all. Whenever someone brought in paperwork for you, you thanked them with a small smile, which would make the men blush. Whenever Ukitake saw you looking at and giving another man your smile, he was unwillingly filled with terrified dread, an unbearable fear like ice in his veins. He didn't understand why he felt this way.
Ukitake consulted his best and oldest friend, Shunsui Kyouraku, the taichou of the 8th division. He told his dear friend about his predicament and the unexplained emotions he felt. Kyouraku, after listening with all seriousness (it wasn't everyday that his friend asked for advice), laughed.
"You're besotted with her." Kyouraku stated simply, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Ukitake just stared at his old friend incredulously. It wasn't possible. It hadn't even been that long since he had known you — much less fall in love with you. It was impossible.
However, looking at Kyouraku's quiet, solemn, and knowing expression, Ukitake quickly realized that there was more truth to Kyouraku's words than he first realized.
He loved you. The realization was like a punch to Ukitake's gut, powerful and almost debilitating. He loved you. Was it possible? He couldn't stop staring in wonder, awed by his revelation.
He cared about you, but it wasn't "like". He didn't like you — it was way beyond that. He liked you as soon as you started talking to him, spending time with him. His emotions for you were much more stronger than merely liking.
He loved you.
Your petals were blooming open to reveal one of the loveliest flowers he had ever seen — and he fell for you.
After talking with Kyouraku, Ukitake immediately went and searched for you. He found you in the garden, playing your koto near the koi (carp) pond. He couldn't help but smile when he saw you. You, sensing his presence, looked up to him and returned his smile with your own. Before Ukitake knew himself what he was doing, he found himself holding you and kissing you, taking your breath away.
Ukitake's mind and moral principals were screaming and scolding him. What had gotten into him? This was no way to behave! What if his rash actions just ruined any chances that he could have had with you? What if you started hating him? What if you didn't like him now? What if you tried to avoid him at all costs and never wanted to speak to him again? Oh god, what had he done? He knew he would die in pure torture if the girl he fancied didn't share the same feelings.
Those thoughts were immediately blown away with the wind when you slowly and shyly started kissing back. That was all that mattered to him.
He held you gently in his lap as one arm went around your waist and held you while the other gently cupped your delicate face. One of your hands rested on his chest, where his heart was fluttering in the most pleasant way and the other tangled in his long white mane.
When both of you pulled away from each other, Ukitake noticed that you had the loveliest shade of pink across your cheeks. Ukitake felt a certain satisfaction in seeing it and suspected that a similar shade was across his own face. He rested his forehead gently against yours while you grinned and rubbed your nose against his, pleasantly surprising him.
And for the first time, he heard you laugh. He became addicted to the sound of your laughter as soon as he heard it.
Your laughter was like peal of bells, bright and delicate. It also sounded like wind chimes, a pleasant and soothing sound.
It sounded heavenly to him. It intoxicated him.
After that incident, Ukitake started courting you formally. Gentle strokes and stolen kisses were common between you two. He loved how snuggly you fit when he held you in his lap, how your smile never stopped causing him to have that pleasant fluttering in his chest. You loved how gentle and caring he was, how his kisses made you weak in the knees and made an unexplainable warmth flow throughout your being.
After a couple more weeks of courting, shared kisses, and loving glances, Ukitake asked you to marry him.
You said yes.
Ukitake looked at you as you slept next to him. You looked so delicate, so beautiful — if he didn't know any better, he'd say you were just a dream. Ukitake couldn't believe his good fortune. He gently stroked your cheek with his warm hands as you shifted unconsciously closer to him. He couldn't help but smile at you. Ukitake quietly pulled the blanket to cover your nakedness from the chilly night air as he relished the feelings you managed to stir in him when no one else could.
Ukitake gently lifted your hand to his lips and kissed each knuckle and finger. He saw the ring you wore, glittering like a star as the moonlight hit it. He kissed the ring as he smiled again. Ukitake then kissed your forehead lovingly and wrapped his arms around your figure as he tried going to sleep.
He marveled at what a beautiful and enchanting flower you blossomed into.
"Every true lover knows that the moment of greatest satisfaction comes when ecstasy is long over and he beholds before him the flower that has blossomed beneath his touch."