Story: The Shinigami Academy...first generation round! Where students Ukitake and Shunsui are preparing to encounter Professor Yamamoto's wrath after another late start...but could they end up encountering something, or rather someone entirely different? Featuring Shinigami-students Unohana, Shunsui and Ukitake.

Anthor's Note: I've wanted to do this ever since, guess what, I found out that Unohana was part of the original Captain's guard along with Shunsui and Jushiro…and what immediately sprang to mind was…they must have been at school together...x3 It could have turned out as crack...but actually developed into...well, this. And this is only the beginning of something I might want to continue...So please comment to tell me what you think...and I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. Nor Unohana Retsu, Kyouraku Shunsui or Ukitake Jushiro. I wish.

Her steps had a calm steady rhythm to them, almost soothing…even though her silhouette seemed to fly across the floorboards, flitting down the corridor. Surely, it was through here. She stopped a moment, the morning sunlight stroking her face, as if in reassurance. The muffled silence was broken by two voices, rising one after the other in barely hushed tones. They seemed close. And close to this place. She stopped.

Was this really where she should be?

She gripped the note in her hand.

And…if so…

Why…

"Why does this always happen to me?"

Ukitake's features knitted in absent-minded frustration, as his arms strained under the weight they suddenly had to carry…or at least, that had to be put on its feet. His face contorted in effort; still a boyish face, or one that should have been…with the hollowed cheeks that should have been rounded, and their immaculate pallor where there should have been a constant tinge of pink flushing the skin. As for his hair, flowing white and pure and barely tickling the nape of his neck…Only his wide eyes, a soft shade of twilight grey under his dark eyebrows gave away his age…twinkling quietly as his voice now uttered a resigned sigh to his own unanswerable question. A smile played over his lips, white and soft as silk. He expected no answer from the groggy, half-sleeping companion he was trying to hoist up from the floor where he had ended his little sake party from last night – yet another one - …to no great avail…

"I know you're awake…Ahh…Why do I always do this?"

He did not want to know, hardly expecting an answer. Nor did he want to know how many minutes had passed since Yamamoto-sensei was preparing to warmly greet the two late-comers in. Only it would not be warm, would it? It would be a spirit-scorching inferno...And it looked lke such a peaceful, sunlit morning, too. A new morning…that was rapidly waning away with every hapless attempt to try and get Shunsui Kyouraku up in time for lessons.

"Because you know I'm going to pay you back, Jushiro…" muttered the voice, still slurring the words – he stank of alcohol, but Ukitake would have hoped the effects would have worn out by now…- as he now struggled to get to his feet. That man was heavy, he thought as he struggled to help him up, exactly how many bottles did he manage to stow up his uniform? Or was it just his strong, powerful structure? It was hard to imagine when he always deliberately wore his uniform so that it could flow artistically behind him…right? Ukitake swallowed slightly, before twisting his anxious expression into a grin. Right.

"Hah…Well, I thought you told me last time it was because of my unique kindness," he replied now, in hardly more a mutter that Shunsui, and reddened slightly now…how childish was that, then? The young man knew he shouldn't have blurted the words out so easily. Words for Jushiro seemed always essential, each tinged with their own special importance…whereas whatever Shunsui said could be placed within two categories: what he said when he was drunk…and what was said when he was sober and even then…what he said then was often so careless that it was hard to tell the difference. The small laugh interrupted these thoughts, soft and serene through his grave timbre. The mutter continued, now clearing out to become the voice he knew so well…warm and mellow, like flowing honey…warming up his very bones. Shunsui's voice was very pleasant. Regardless of how sober he was, or what he said.

"Ah…well, I must have said this when I was drunk...because I do really take your kindness for granted, don't I?"

Shunsui looked up, winking…and suddenly standing up straight, in a spring. Ukitake didn't know if it was that sudden movement as he was still trying to pull him up, or the sudden strike in his thoughts, but he lost his balance and toppled backwards, landing thankfully in the pile of sheets, a few of many that had been recklessly thrown in a pile to try and make the dormitory more…well…to make it appear more tidy, anyhow. Jushiro sank into the soft covers, a grin on his face as he outstretched his hand towards Shunsui. His face had at last broken into a smile. "Alright then…you pay me back, now. Be so kind as to help me up, this time!"

He was suddenly laughing silently, lying there with half a mind to go back to sleep again…and stretching out a hand demandingly. The hand that suddenly gripped his to pull him upwards, was warm against his cold skin…the very warmth that seemed to seep into the lines of his palms, through his bloodstream…and right up to his heart.

Shunsui smiled, feeling it play on his lips and illuminate his face with a warm and serene glow. Oh, yeah, he did have a splitting headache from last night…but hearing Jushiro laugh, this time, was like an instant remedy. When he had been so thoughtful, it seemed, just a moment ago. This man, thought Shunsui, this man is insane…insanely kind. It was truly maddening…to see his pale face, with their metal grey eyes and sharp cheekbones, melt away into a smile. He stepped forward with an elaborated sign, as if shaking his head at the sudden reverse in roles…He could feel a sudden, unexplained happiness flowing in the air between, where just minutes before there had just been playfulness and a soft resignation. Shunsui stretched out his hand, setting on his friend his almond-shaped, tranquil eyes, the green sparkling like the fresh leaves of spring fed by the earth, in the light brown complexion of his face, tanned by the sun. His laid-back yet graceful featured were no longer crumpled through his unpleasant awakening, already glowing and handsome…Only the dark curls of his hair running wild across his forehead seemed to indicate he had just got up…or been partly carried up from the floor, in any case. After all, his peaceful, sleepy expression was almost eternally etched on his face…except when he was at least trying to pay attention to something, like…right now…? Hmm…his smile widened slightly, as he took Ukitake's hand. It was icy cold; their eyes met for an instant, before he pulled him up straight, letting go. They stood for a moment, face to face. Jushiro touched his hand absent-mindedly…was it warmer, now? He wondered…

"Dammit…you're heavier that I thought," smiled Shunsui with a crooked grin, putting on a downcast mimic. "It's such a trick, you eating so much and looking so light…"

Jushiro seemed to redden for some strange reason, ever so slightly – for him, that was hardly a shade of pink to disturb the immaculate whiteness of his features, but easily detectable by Kyouraku now - and now grinned in return, raising an eyebrow as he laughed, answering in a soft, subtle murmur…His voice was always shrouded in mystery, with a delicate, husky edge…it could send shivers down anyone's spine. Alright. His spine, anyhow.

"Heheh…it's a mystery. So, now that you know how it feels like dragging someone up, will you cooperate more easily?" he retorted gently, smoothing down the folds of his academic uniform…which compelled Shunsui to do the same…and considering that he had actually gone to sleep in that same uniform, he had considerably much more to smooth out…Jushiro did not leave him time to do that, nor to formulate an answer, as he grabbed his sleeve to take him out of the dormitory, and into the corridor. Which was perfectly calm and silent, making each step, each shuffle and whisper seem monumental as Ukitake forced Shunsui to follow him, muttering under his breath. "...can't be that late, surely…"

"You shouldn't…really…should you?" said Kyouraku tentatively, not caring to raise his voice; he needed more that an empty corridor to subdue him…perhaps a more direct consequence to his lateness, and that would come sooner that he would have liked. Ukitake sighed, still ahead of him in the corridor, gripping his sleeve tightly, as if afraid he might somehow collapse again. Weeeeell…thought Shunsui, starching his head as his yawn echoed throughout the corridor, that was hardly an unreasonable thought now, was it? Ukitake was not answering, and he was starting to wonder whether he was simply concentrating upon finding their classroom…or, well, did not want to answer…But right at that moment, Jushiro stopped to turn round and look at him, smiling calmly; his eyes softly resigned…At that moment, Shunsui could think of a thousand words forming in his throat…but somehow, the silence flowing between them, like that sudden happiness earlier on, seemed unexplainable…yet…irrevocably right.

"Taken for granted, hmm?" Ukitake said softly, his voice no more than a whisper in the deserted corridor, but each word seemed to reverberate in Shunsui's mind. "You know you shouldn't either. But you do. And you don't…take for granted. I know."

Too many words, to explain, to protest…to say that never could that…that illness, that loneliness compare…And to try and express a thousand words that seemed to stutter and die as soon as they started to form in his throat, like a candle attempting to flicker into life. But finally, only one word came, glowing bright.

"Thank you."

Jushiro smiled, feeling his face light up with happiness and doing nothing to prevent it from doing so…even if it was probably best not to arrive late in Yamamoto Genryuusai-sama's class late with a beaming smile on your face, if you wished to be able to smile again for a long time…Even though…it had formed a routine, irrevocably. Shunsui and Ukitake were rarely not seen together…and that did apply to lessons, as well…what harm was there in at least trying to keep Kyouraku on the right track, at least? He had completely blotted out all of Ukitake's protests, to stay by each time he was ill – which Ukitake considered cheating really, because he was in no condition to protest virulently when stuck in bed with a fever…

"Thank you," he retorted fiercely, trying to put on an exasperated face…but that had as much success as Shunsui trying to put on a serious face…Well…actually, maybe they should try and rehearse their late entrance expressions. Again. Usually, this completely failed, and Ukitake crept in first with a sheepish expression, followed by Shunsui who looked a bit too peaceful for the occasion…

"Oh well…" shrugged Shunsui, looking at Jushiro as they both stood in front of the door. "We're both going to die anyway…so…can you go first?"

"Hey…I went first last time…"

"Come on, Ukitake. You're the diplomat. You can sift us out of this!"

"You wish, Kyouraku…"

"Look, you're not the guilty one here…the guilty ones come last!"

"Heh…that is such a weak excuse…"

"Excuse me…is this Yamamoto Genryuusai-sama's classroom?"

"Too damn right it is," replied Shunsui, with a sigh…before looking at Ukitake sideways, suddenly realizing. And turning round to face the new voice…

The young girl wore the red and white garments of the academy; her glossy black hair was tied up neatly on the nape of her neck in a long plait, a few strands of hair falling in either side of her delicately curved, angelic face. She did not redden or stutter as she looked up at the two boys staring at her, perhaps older and certainly taller than she was.

Her large blue eyes gazed unblinking as she continued in the silence, with a calm smile, in her sweet and quiet voice:

"My name is Unohana Retsu, and I have been summoned to attend Yamamoto Genryuusai's lesson. Now…will you be so kind as to step aside and let me open this door?"

Yes, it's me again: I've rechecked this, but I'm still sorry if there are any grammatical errors gone unnoticed. I speak fluent English, but it's been a few months since I wrote in any other language than French xD I hope you enjoyed it! In any case, tell me what you thought about it, I'll be pleased to know! x)