Title: To Say and to Think
Author: SGL
Rating: PG/whatever the equivalent now is
-.-
Summary: Nanao thinks for Shunsui
Ise Nanao had observed throughout her years as his fukutaichou that while Kyouraku Shunsui was a clean man, meticulous in the washing of his clothing and scrubbing of his fingernails and cleansing of his hair every night, he was not neat, nor organized.
Kyouraku rarely shaved, at least, to his own knowledge (It was quite easy for Nanao to take up a razor for him during one of his many long retreats to his "Nap Desk" in his office. But Nanao would never announce her own ability for the task nor volunteer to help him shave while he was conscious. Kyouraku always looked stubbly no matter how often she shaved him anyway.). He simply never seemed to remember to make time to shave.
And her captain always dressed against shinigami uniform code, in flowered pink over-robes that seemed to droop and fall loose across even his broad shoulders and muscular back. Any other man probably would've looked flamingly effeminate, but not him. Kyouraku Shunsui would always appear more masculine than any other captain in Soul Society.
At least, to Nanao, he would.
"My lovely Nanao-chan thinks of me every day and night!" Kyouraku had slurred out a few nights ago at the Tenth Division office, arm wrapped firmly around the shoulders of a disgruntled Hitsugaya, "You should hear what she says to the other women about me... well, I could tell you but... you are only so young! Jyuushirou would have my head if I filled your young mind with dirty thoughts..."
"Matsumoto... why did you invite him?" Hitsugaya's throbbing forehead vein pounded unpleasantly.
But the 8th Division captain had been wrong that night. Aside from the fact that Nanao would never share such sordid gossip with others, she thought about Kyouraku far more than he declared she did. But Nanao didn't think of him so often because she "burned with passion¨ for Kyouraku.
Well, maybe she did a little. "Smoldered slightly" was perhaps more accurate.
But the real reason Nanao often found herself thinking of him, of his health, of his work, of his life... and of his happiness... was because Kyouraku Shunsui rarely thought of all these things for himself.
Shunsui had once declared that all he truly needed in this afterlife were sake, his zanpakutou, and his Nanao-chan.
But she knew he needed more.
And since sake and Katen Kyoukotsu were hard pressed to provide him with what she felt he needed, Nanao would have to think about these things for her captain. She would have to worry about his health and his job and his happiness for him.
Because Nanao knew that Shunsui thought and worried about all these things for her.
-End-
So, thanks for reading this ficlet. Reviews are good, constructive criticism is better.