Chapter 2: Drinking, paperwork, and old friends

(Six months later)

Shunsui Kyoraku has always been called, well, lazy. Especially by his very violent niece, Nanao Ise, which is why as of this moment he is grateful she is off running errands he purposely sent her on so he could have a break. If she were here he'd be getting a book to the back of head or possibly a kido spell in the arse.

As usual Shusui was avoiding paperwork. There's so much of it he's fed up though he knows he has to do it. However, in true Shunsui fashion, he'd rather relax. He hasn't had time to…well it doesn't matter; it's just nonstop paperwork day in and day out. It's too much in his opinion, not that his matter's much, and he feels bad for what he put old man Yamma through.

Pen still scratching over the document in front of him his complaints consume his thoughts, "I thought it was bad when I was just the eighth division captain. Now being Head Captain, ugh it's so much more. More paperwork. More duties. More responsibility. Just more. I am so tired of more. With Juu gone it's worse."

This last thought makes him stop writing, closing his eyes in pain. Juu wasn't just another captain, not to Shunsui. He was his friend, almost like a brother, and with his death Shunsui felt a part of himself die too.

"Ugh, this is just too depressing, I need to get out of here," he muttered to himself throwing down the pen before he slipped out of the office, making sure not to be seen.

He leaves his division, flash stepping through the Seireitei as quickly as possible and is soon over one of the walls. Moving quickly he flies through the first, second, third, and fourth districts and by the time he decides to stop he's in the 50th making his way to his favorite sake house.

A jovial morning and afternoon of ruckus laughter and flirting with pretty women came and went before Shunsui makes his way out of the establishment. Stumbling slightly he has a happy smile on his face but the further he goes the faster the euphoria slips away allowing his morose thoughts to return. Like thoughts of losing his best friend and so many others during the Quincy War.

Shaking his head trying to dislodge them he continues to move through the streets still wanting to avoid Nanao as long as possible. Well, perhaps not her so much as the paperwork she will force him to do.

As he walks and thinking he stops suddenly when he hears a scream. "Talk about sobering up," he thinks trying to determine the direction the sound came from. Moving quickly to lend his assistance to whoever was in distress, even drunk as he was he knew he could handle any half wit he came upon here, he collided into someone; a shorter someone and feminine if the feel of said person indicated anything. He was about to smile and apologize quickly so he could continue on his way to find out who screamed, when he looked down and saw auburn hair. Tilting his head to angle his good eye at the figure he realized the hair reminded him of someone, a very beautiful someone.

He blinked to bring his eye back into proper focus only to widen it in surprise when he realized he has his hands around Orihime Inoue. Gasping he quickly lets go of her, shocked that he quite literally managed to run into her. He'd heard she had died and ended up somewhere in the larger numbered districts, but never expected to see her again this quickly.

She steps back with a bright smile on her face and an apology on her very beautiful lips. "Such beautiful lips she has." Shunsui shakes his head at his thought. He doesn't know why that popped into his head and decides to blame it on the sake.

"Sorry captain, sir. I wasn't watching where I was going! I was just so angry so when a man grabbed my…well, grabbed me and I yelled. I think I drew too much attention to myself." Her cheeks are flushed pink with embarrassment at her outburst and then barreling into a captain.

"It is quite alright Miss Inoue," replied Shunsui with a polite bow.

"You know my name? But how? I've never met a captain before. You are a captain of the Seireitei, yes? I mean, I've never been but I've heard of you, well of how strong the captains are…"

She continues to ramble and he smirks. "Same sweet, gentle Inoue. A good soul. Pretty."

He chuckles and waves it off. "Yes I am from there. Now, let me escort you to your home so that no other man grabs at you. Shall we?"

He holds out his arm and she takes it, laughing softly, "Thank you sir, but I don't have a home. Times out here are hard with everything that happened during the war. But I don't want to bring up memories that I am sure are sad for you, like many others. But I do have a little hut that I've been staying in. It's not much, that's why I don't call it home."

Shunsui looks at her. He didn't let her heal his eye because he was too damn prideful, too damn stubborn. At the time he thought he'd wear it as a badge of honor. Now, as he looks at the girl, no, woman, he wishes he still had its sight.

He smiles. "Come, I know a place you can stay."

Before she can disagree he wraps his arm around her waist pulling her close and soon moves into a flash step, chuckling when he hears her gasp.