Written for the "If you were..." Challenge for 5 Prompts on LJ.

Prompt: #6 - If you were a preacher, I'd begin to change my ways.

For You

Shunsui lay on the rooftop of his division, watching the clouds as they passed by overhead. They floated above him at such a leisurely pace, with nothing to intrude their peace. They blocked out the mid-day sun, but still he had his hat rested over his eyes, shielding them just in case the clouds decided to part ways.

Nonetheless, Shunsui lay where he was, enjoying the warmth of the sun upon his frame. He hadn't any intention to return to his office and work on the few piles of paperwork that were waiting for him. Work wasn't any fun, and Shunsui was one of those men who loved fun more than anything else.

He raised his trusty bottle to his lips and drank some sake. The liquid burned his throat, but the more it burned, the more it satisfied his hunger for alcohol. He contemplated taking a trip to the nearby pub, but settled on lying there for a moment or two to soak up the sun's heat. It made him lazy, and his eyelids were beginning to droop.

He wondered where his Nanao-chan was. What she was up to, whether she was searching for him. He had been gone from his desk for little over an hour, and she should have found him by now. Or maybe she had some self-employed errands to run, who knows? Nanao was always the one who did the work, running around all over the place to get to her destination, only to leave a second later to hurry to another location.

Shunsui couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of him doing all the work that Nanao took over for him. He despised work, and if Ukitake were to see him at his desk, diligently going over documents and the like, the man would no doubt call him mad.

He'd prefer a night of sake over paperwork anytime.

The trapdoor to the roof opened, and the sound of footsteps upon tiles reached Shunsui's ears. A smile formed on his face as he tipped his head back, letting the hat to fall lower over his eyes.

"There you are, Captain." Given the many years that she had to spend to put up with her captain's procrastination, Nanao was an expert at hiding her irritation behind a well-composed mask of indifference.

"Took you quite a while to find me, didn't it, Nanao-chan?" Shunsui teased lightly. He could almost feel the hard stare that Nanao sent his way. "Go on and have a seat, won't you?"

Ever the serious one, always in stark contrast to Shunsui, Nanao remained standing.

Shunsui had thought as much, and allowed himself a small sigh. There was nothing he could do to change Nanao's attitude towards her work. She was dedicated, responsible, diligent, everything that he wasn't.

In truth, Shunsui had to admit that she was the best lieutenant a captain could ask for. He couldn't help but feel like he was, somehow, misusing her diligence. All this while he had been slacking off, only to be forced back to his desk by Nanao, and then only to steal away to the pub after signing just two or three papers.

Nanao would then chase after him once again, and the cycle went on. Often Shunsui wondered why she hadn't given up on him and asked to be transferred to another division to serve a captain who was actually deserving of her skills.

The notion of Nanao… his Nanao-chan serving another division, another captain, struck a chord in Shunsui. The little ache that formed in the deepest corner of his heart was one that even a big swig of sake couldn't cure. That was when he found himself actually wanting to return to his office and finish his work. Or, at the very least, get started.

All that… for Nanao.

Shunsui let out another sigh, a puzzled one, and lowered the hat over his eyes.

"You know, Nanao-chan," he drawled, "if you were a priest… I'd change my ways."

Nanao look down at him sharply. "What is that supposed to mean, Captain Kyoraku?"

Shunsui burst out with a laugh and rose to his feet, patting imaginary dust from his clothes. "Eh, nothing." He gave her a good-natured grin, adjusting his hat, and returned to his office.

For the rest of the afternoon, Nanao was left to wonder just what had gotten into her captain.

Shunsui, as he sat at his desk writing one report after another, stole a glance over at his lieutenant. Her eyes widened just minutely, having been discovered for staring, and resumed her work in the corner.

A smile tugged at the corners of Shunsui's lips as he signed his name at the bottom of the paper, the final confirmation seal of the Eighth Division.

For Nanao-chan, Shunsui would indeed change his ways.