Shunsui napped in the spreading arms of an old maple tree. The creak and sway of the branches rocked him gently and the sound of the cool wind rustling the dry, dying leaves soothed him as little else in the world could.

He slept and woke, slept and woke, wrapping his flowery coat about him. He'd been up rather late the night before, doing the night rounds that so many of the other captains disdained. He'd enjoyed the moonlight, the sake, and the quiet sleeping reiatsu of the Gotei 13. The compounds had been clear, and he didn't like to seem too active.

In between naps, he sensed the quiet calm of Nanao-chan doing her paperwork. The tedious regularity of the work seemed to soothe her heart when it only annoyed the hell out of him. That it was always the same only seemed to reassure her of how well she did it. He always thought better her than me.

He roused again as he felt Jyuushiro's sea reiatsu come within range. He didn't bother with hiding his reiatsu, his old friend always knew where he was.

Shunsui's half-asleep brain composed even as he contemplated just sliding back into slumber.

amid red leaves, first
white flake seems cold and distant
but melts on my tongue

Then there was a soft whump of displaced air, and the branches bent before him. He blinked sleepily up at Jyuushiro, balanced lightly on two slender, wind-tossed limbs. The red leaves fell all about him, showering him with fire.

"Ise-kun is looking for you." Jyuushiro's arms were crossed.

"Paperwork?" Shunsui asked. He craned his neck to see if his vice-captain stood behind the other, and stopped as a smile crept into Jyuushiro's eyes.

Jyuushiro shrugged.

"You won't tell her where I am?"

"She can sense you as easily as I can. I suspect she merely wished for me to be the one to interrupt your nap," Jyuushiro said, dryly.

"Wise of her," Shunsui observed.

"Not that you have much of a temper about getting awakened."

"Mmhm." Shunsui held a hand up to Jyuushiro.

When Jyuushiro opened his stance to take it, Shunsui braced to pull Jyuushiro down on top of him. He didn't fight it at all, to Shunsui's amusement. Shunsui, of all people, knew just how the slender Captain could fight. Jyuushiro fell on top of Shunsui to a mild whuff of air from both of them and some wild bouncing of branches. More leaves showered down, covering them both.

Jyuushiro laughed quietly and nuzzled into Shunsui's throat as Shunsui wrapped his arms around his long-time lover. "Maybe this is why?"

Shunsui chuckled. "Maybe."

He whispered his new poem into Jyuushiro's ear.

Jyuushiro blushed. "Hm... maybe we should try it, just to see..."

"Maybe."

Then there wasn't that much talking anymore; and they found that the white one melted, just fine, against Shunsui's tongue.