AN: This is my repentence for killing Nanao in my last fic... It is also proof to my 8th grade teacher that I do have a sense of humor, even if it is a bit serious sometimes.

Disclaimer: As we know, I don't own Bleach.

Silly Games

No one knew how it first started. Maybe it had been an accident, or maybe it had been one of those spur of the moment things that just happened. Maybe the opportunity had been too good to pass up. However it started was unimportant. The simple fact of the matter was that it had become an addiction, an epidemic, at an alarming pace.

The game was simple: find a place to hide, wait for the victim, then spring. The name of the game, derived from the traditional battle-cry used by its warriors, was Gotcha. It was all the rage, and Nanao simply could not fathom why.

It was one thing to derived pleasure from getting the jump on someone else, but she had been told that even the person being scared got a laugh (after the initial scare wore off, of course).

There were more downsides to the game in her opinion. For one, people kept putting themselves in compromising situations in attempts to hide. Just the other day Ikakku had gotten stuck while trying to get Yachiru and Yumichika. It had taken his squad members nearly two hours trying to get him out. There was butter involved…

An even bigger problem was Captain Kyoraku. It was not surprising to Nanao that he had gotten caught up in playing. How could he have resisted, being the overgrown child that he is? He was one of the first captains to decide it was a fun game to play and had committed himself and all of his free time to pulling off the ultimate gotcha. And who was the lucky target? None other than his lovely Nanao-chan, of course.

His most recent attempt had been laughable. He had somehow managed to squeeze himself under her desk, but his attempt to jump out turned over her entire desk, sending papers and ink flying and the captain into hiding from his lieutenant's wrath.

Captain Kyoraku had not been the only one trying to pull a gotcha on Nanao. Other attackers included several of the eighth's members, all of the other lieutenants, and even a few of the other captains (a strange and embarrassing phenomenon for all involved). Apparently, she was becoming famous for her imperviousness to gotchas in any form. She also made other people jumpy.

"As a point of fact, my dear Nanao-chan, it is only a matter of time before you join the game. Everyone knows you will excel at it."

She had rolled her eyes. "Captain, I have never been one for silly games."

"But with your strategically adept personality, you could pull off the greatest gotcha of them all."

She snorted now. Silly people and their silly games. Suddenly she smiled, the type of smile that would have sent her captain (or any other sane-minded individual) running for cover. Because the crafty lieutenant had just formed an idea. Maybe the ultimate gotcha would be enough to get people off her back for a while.

Shunsui came into the office at his usual time—well after noon—only to find it empty. Strange, he thought to himself. Nanao was always waiting behind her desk, ready to grab him and force him to sign something. He wasn't worried, though; it was possible that she had just taken a late lunch break, so he set off to find her.

Worry began to set in when he did not find her in any of her usual haunts. He returned to the office, hoping they had just missed each other, only to find it still empty, everything as it was.

"Have you seen Nanao today?" he asked one of the secretaries.

The young girl looked up at him nervously. "No, sir. Lieutenant Ise has not been in at all today."

Shunsui fought down the panic that rose into his chest. "Did she call in and say she wasn't coming?"

"No, sir."

Shunsui was gone before the girl could say anything further. He pounded on Nanao's door, waiting only one minute before pushing it open. It was unlocked. The rooms were empty.

Now he was in full-on panic mode. Several of his squad members gave him frightened, questioning looks as he sped past them all. He was going to check in with Ukitake; his best friend and his lieutenant were close friends and sometimes had lunch together. He was almost there when he saw her.

Nanao was sitting under a tree, a book in her lap. Her head lolled to one side and her face had that serene expression of a peaceful dream. Shunsui's heart slowed, panic ebbing into that same indescribable feeling he always got around his lieutenant. He let out a deep breath.

He stood there looking at her for a minute. Watching her sleep made him feel a little guilty. Maybe if he did more work, Nanao would be able to get more rest. Maybe she would have time for a little fun. Maybe she would not fall asleep when she tried to read a few pages of her book. He leaned in close, ready to pick her up and carry her back to the couch in the office. That was when it happened.

Nanao waited until her captain was only a few inches away from her. Her eyes flew open, she sprang forward, and she pressed her lips softly against her captain's. She pulled back a second later, noting the shocked look on his face with pleasure.

She only uttered one word before shunpoing away, leaving Shunsui shocked, speechless, and quite unable to move.

"Gotcha."

AN: While I was proofreading this, I had a thought. I would love to see the fics some people could come up with from that one line ("There was butter involved...") Any takers? R&R as usual. By the way, I finally have an idea for a chapter story on this pair, but first I had a question. Captain Ukitake will, of course, show up, and I do not know whether to call him Jyushiro or Ukitake. Any preferences?