Three Roses
By Toast and Mira-chan
First Chapter- by Toast
Second Chapter- by Mira (co-written by Toast)
A/N: For Unohana-taichou, on her birthday, with luff. We don't own Bleach.
-Toast and Mira
Three Roses
"Unohana-taichou, we need your assistance."
Yamada Hanataro poked his head into the office of the Yonbantai-taichou, Unohana Retsu. The captain was at her desk, filling out paperwork in her thin, graceful script.
"Unohana-taichou?" Hanataro asked timidly.
Unohana raised her head from where she was working and turned to smile at her apprehensive seventh seat. "My apologies, Yamada-san, I was lost in my work. What needs my attention?"
"Uh, um," Hanataro muttered, opening the door and walking into the room. "Several members of Juuichibantai are being loud and reckless and we can't get them to quiet down, no matter what we do. Sanseki Iemura Yasochika sent me to ask you for your assistance in calming them down. Can you help us?"
Unohana smiled slightly. "Of course. You may tell Iemura-kun I will be there to deal with the members of Juuichibantai in a moment."
Hanataro's apprehensive face broke into a smile. "Thank you, taichou!" He bowed, then hurried out of the room.
Unohana smiled at her seventh seat's behavior and rose from her chair, brushing down her haori. "I suppose it's time to see what mess the Juuichibantai members have made of the Relief Station," she sighed, and headed out the door of her office.
It didn't take her long to find the source of the commotion.
Five or six low-ranked members of Eleventh were out in the hallways, yelling, breaking things, and generally complaining about their treatment. Iemura was trying to regain some order, but no one seemed to be backing him up, as everyone was too busy staying out of the Juuichibantai members' way.
"What seems to be the problem?" Unohana asked as she glided up to the troublemaking Shinigami.
The Juuichibantai members froze in their tracks. They turned slowly to face the Yonbantai-taichou. "U-Unohana-taichou," they stammered as one, "n-nice to s-see you."
"It is nice to see that you are up and about," Retsu said, smiling gently, "but I'm afraid for the moment your injuries are such that if you move too much they will open up again. I advise that you return to your rooms and continue healing quietly. If you do not return to your rooms, we will be forced to sedate you, and nobody wants that, right? So please, return to your rooms now."
"O-Of course, U-Unohana-taichou!" the members of Juuichibantai chorused, running at full tilt towards their rooms.
Unohana sighed. "Sanseki Iemura, your issue seems to have been resolved."
Iemura bowed, pushing his glasses up his nose. "Thank you, Unohana-taichou."
"Not at all, Iemura-san." Unohana smiled and inclined her head slightly. "I have paperwork that must be turned in, so I must depart. When Isane arrives back from her fukutaichou meeting, please send her to my office."
Iemura bowed again. "Of course, Unohana-taichou."
Unohana walked away, leaving her subordinates to clean up the mess the patients had caused. 'I will have to talk to Kenpachi-san about their behavior the next time our paths cross,' she thought as she turned to corner to her office. 'Even if he probably won't do anything about it.'
She turned the doorknob to her office door and pushed it open. It was the same as she had left it, except for a small bouquet on her desk.
The bouquet was made of three roses: one pink, one red, and one white. Their stems had been removed of thorns and carefully twisted together. They had been tied together with a piece of ribbon, on which was attached a note. Unohana carefully detached it from the roses and read the slightly slanted script.
'My love for you grows ever stronger.
A rose for each of us,
and another for what binds us together.
Our fates are tangled;
they draw steadily closer.
Upon this day I wish to tell you
That my love for you burns brighter
than candles in the night.'
It wasn't signed nor dated, but Retsu could tell the roses were fresh, probably cut early that morning.
'A person who does not wish for me to know their identity sent this,' Unohana pondered, rereading the free-verse poem. 'Either that, or a person who wishes to test my intelligence and solve the riddle that is hidden in this poem.' She smiled softly. 'Very well, if that is what they want, that is what they'll get.'
She settled down at her desk to solve this mystery. She ran kidou-covered fingers over the roses, trying to detect even the slightest glimmer of spiritual energy that would give the sender away. But the person was clever, and had masked their energy so well that even Unohana, trained as she was in the arts of kidou and sensing reiryoku, couldn't sense it.
'They must be talented,' Unohana mused, 'to shield their reiryoku so well. Interesting . . .' she turned her attention to the mention of the roses.
"'A rose for each of us,' " she said thoughtfully, "'and another for what binds us together.' It's obvious I know this person, or why would they mention it? Curious." She inspected the roses. One pink, one red, one white.
"Pink," she murmured, running a finger across the smoky pink petals. "The same color as my haori lining. So this rose symbolizes myself, I imagine."
Two remaining roses. One red. One white.
"A rose for the sender," Unohana murmured, "and one for something that binds us." She then noticed the ribbon that held the roses together. It was the same deep red color as the middle rose.
"The ribbon helps bind," Unohana said softly. "Obviously a hint from the sender. One that I will use. The red rose then symbolizes the thing that binds us together, and the white rose signifies the sender. Now, to unlock this puzzle."
She ran her fingers over the line of the poem that said 'binds us together.' "The first thing that I can think of that's red that would bind me to someone is blood, but none of my relatives are alive any longer. Blood . . . of course. They mean literally. And the white . . ." a smile grew across her lips.
She knew exactly who had sent the roses.
"Taichou, Unohana-taichou has come from Yonbantai and requests an audience with you. Should we let her in?"
Ukitake looked up from his paperwork, letting a small smile play over his lips. 'That didn't take long, now, did it?'
"Ah yes, I've been expecting her," he said, putting his brush down and straightening the papers on his desk. "Let her come in."
Rukia nodded. "Of course. I'll be back with her in one moment."
Ukitake spent the several minutes Rukia was gone thinking over exactly what he had done. 'Either she'll be furious with me, or she'll enjoy what I gave her,' he thought. 'I sincerely hope it is the latter.'
The shoji-screen door to his office slid open, revealing Unohana and Rukia. "Ah, Retsu," Ukitake said, smiling. "Welcome. Rukia, thank you for escorting her. You may leave."
Rukia nodded and disappeared in a buzz of shunpo, leaving the two senior captains alone.
"I got your gift," Unohana said, eying Ukitake with interest.
Ukitake grinned. "I gathered. Now the question is, did you like it?"
Unohana smiled softly. "As a matter of fact, I did. The red rose was a nice touch. Blood and love for the same color."
"Rather ironic, don't you think?" Ukitake asked, moving closer to Unohana. "That the thing that plagues me so is what attracted me to you in the first place?"
"Maybe," Unohana said, amusement tinting her tones. "Perhaps what attracted me was your intelligence and charming good looks."
Ukitake laughed. "Maybe. I'm surprised you solved my riddle so fast, but I really shouldn't be. You are one of the elder shinigami captains, just like me."
"When you've been around a while, you pick up such things as intelligence," Unohana chuckled. "I'm curious, however. Where did you get that shade of pink rose?"
Ukitake grinned. "That would be telling," he said softly, leaning down to look eye-to-eye with Retsu. "Besides, I rather like my trade-secrets."
He cupped her face in his hand and said softly, "One more thing, Retsu."
"Yes?"
Their lips met.
"Happy Birthday."
A/N: Tangobi Omedato, Unohana-taichou!!! XD Hope you like your present!
To the readers, if you know me, you should've guessed that pairing. xD
On other notes, why is okaasan-taichou's the worst day of my week? Maybe the Powers that Be wish to torutre me ou my my mind... Then I can join Stein. XD STEIN!! XDD
And it's raining (T-storming, actually).... Feh...
Much thanks to Desert(dot)Moon for the awesome betaing job as usual, making me feel REALLY guilty for not starting that SasuIno story yet. . .
ANYWAYS, I hope everyone enjoyed it! Please leave me a review so I can get high, cause I need to forget my troubles from today.
Thanks!
Luff,Toasty
... and Mira, who doesn't approve of Toast dissing her rain.