Kuroi Hana

Summary: What happens when Ukitake finds he has someone else competing for Unohana's heart? D: Will he let her go, or will he try to win her back? Then again, it's Unohana's choice. D: Will they have a happy ending, or will they go their seperate ways?

Once Unohana felt her strength return, she then began to do what she always had done; look after the injured and sick of the Soul Society. She looked over to see Yachiru hop in, followed by more members of the 11th Division. She sighed. How usual it was to see them here. And their injuries? Nothing more than being trained too hard. "Re-chan ~" Yachiru said happily, leading the way for the injured men.

She sighed, with a slight smile. Several members brought the men over to the recovering area, since their wounds were not that serious. Following them was none other than 11th Division's captain, Kenpachi. "Oi! You pathetic dumba-" Unohana grabbed his arm, and smiled.

"Do keep the language toned down. This is supposed to be child-friendly, you know." He just grunted, even if she did scare him-but only a little! He walked away, leaving Unohana grinning at his short temper. Yachiru, curious why on earth Kenpachi would come to just yell at his men, followed him.

"Neh, Ken-chan! Why did you go all the way to the 4th Division? It wasn't just to yell at those guys, was it?" She pressed her finger to her lips.

"Ehhh?" He gave a grunt. "What the hack are ya thinkin' about? Stupid brat..." He muttered. Yachiru wondered if it wasn't just to see Unohana. She'd have to wait and see.

Unohana later made a trip to see Ukitake to give him his medicine, since he was probably still a bit sick. She knocked on his door, and quietly opened it, to see him doing paper work. "Hello, Ukitake-taicho," she said with a smile. She held up a bag with his medicine in it. "I'm glad to see you're doing better." He smiled back at her, and turned around to face her.

"Thank you," he said, taking the medicine and putting it in his tea. "So how are you? I heard you were ill. I'm sorry I couldn't go see you, but..."

She shook her head. "I wouldn't want you up and about, especially not seeing me when I am ill. As for things, they've been calm, except more 11th Division members arriving. Including, surprisingly, Kenpachi-taicho. He never comes."

This surprised Ukitake as well. Why on earth would Kenpachi go to the 4th Division? "Why was he there?" He asked.

Unohana shrugged. "I don't know. He didn't stay long, though. Besides, he's too noisy when he arrives. All his yelling isn't good for the patients." She looked a bit annoyed.

"Do you dislike him?" Ukitake asked. He was now rather curious. Though, why would Unohana like someone like Kenpachi? A violent, blood-thirsty man with an interest only in fighting. That didn't seem like her type at all.

She looked surprised. "No, I don't. I just don't approve of noise in general in the 4th Division when there are patients recovering. That's all. Why, did it sound like I didn't like him?" She laughed a bit.

"No, just they way you looked after you said how much noise he created!" He laughed. Inwardly, he felt a pang of...jealousy? No, that couldn't be right. Ukitake never really agreed with Kenpachi's violent, loud personality. Though, he didn't dislike Kenpachi, it was only their personalities clashed when it came to basically everything.

"Well, I'll let you get back to work. I also have a few things to finish today." She smiled and then closed the door after he said good-bye.

Unohana leaned against the door for few minutes. How she wished she had the courage to tell him that her feelings for him still never left. She was never really afraid of much, but somehow, she was afraid to tell him.

A few days later, once the usual captain's meeting ended, Ukitake saw Kenpachi walk over to Unohana. He looked rather stiff, and hesitant. Kyoraku looked back at what Ukitake was doing. "Oi, Ukitake!" He saw Kenpachi talking to Unohana. "Ooohh boy," he said with a sigh. "I've been hearing that Kenpachi likes her since she's quite strong. Though, I have my Nanao-chan, so I don't need anyone else," he smiled. Ukitake said nothing, but watched as Unohana followed him out of the meeting.

"You were the one that left her a long time ago. Even if you're feelings didn't change, hers probably did. Hehe, probably got tired of waiting around for you, eh?" Kyoraku said a bit sadly, as he walked away. Ukitake sadly watched her go. As long as she was happy, that's what mattered. Not a day went by that he didn't regret leaving her. At the time, it seemed logical, but now...he wondered why he did it.

In fact, it seemed after that, Kenpachi seemed to drop by the 4th Division often, though his reason was to yell at his men for being weak and pathetic. He was losing her-to Kenpachi-to a brute! The one day things began to fall apart for him was when he heard Kenpachi and Unohana talking privately in a room. "What is it you want to talk about? You are here quite a lot, so are you alright?"

Kenpachi knew nothing of women, probably. "What a pain," he grunted. "Tch, Yachiru wanted you to come with us for dinner." Ukitake looked blank as he heard this...he...indirectly asked her out, using Yachiru as an excuse.

"What a nice offer," she smiled. "But I am quite busy today, so if Yachiru wouldn't mind having dinner another night, that would be fine." Unohana knew Kenpachi was indirectly asking her out, but she wasn't sure if she should accept his offer or not.

Kenpachi grunted and walked out, eying Ukitake as he left. As she walked out, she was surprised to see Ukitake standing there. "Oh, Ukitake-taicho. Can I help you?" He looked up and with an odd grin, shook his head.

"No, I'm alright. I just was in need of some more medicine." She blinked a few times. She was sure she'd given him enough to last awhile. Maybe he lost it. "Ahh, would you want to get something for lunch?" She looked back at him as she walked to get some more of his medicine.

"I can't today. I need to go gather some more herbs today, and it looks like it's going to rain later, so I'd rather get it done before then. Thank you, though," she smiled, as she handed him the medicine. He just nodded and slowly walked out.

He had lost her to Kenpachi. He wasn't surprised, though. He had never even made any hint of asking her out, really. It was his loss, and he had let her go in the first place...

Unohana took her zanpakto with her and set out for the mountain a bit later. This also gave her some time to think. It had been a long time since anyone expressed any interest in her that way. Though, it was Kenpachi asking. He was a brute, violent and blood-thirsty. He probably only admired her for being strong. But then, why not go after Soi Fon? She was strong too, wasn't she? No, Unohana did not have any feelings for him, but going out and about wasn't bad either. Then, her true feelings lay with Ukitake, as they always had. Though, he hadn't attempted anything with her since that day, but then, he was the one who dumped her. Maybe she should have tried to ask him instead.

The questions that remained were: Should she move on? Or, should she wait? She was so deep in thought, she didn't notice when it began to rain. She looked up, and then quickly covered her basket of herbs. As she walked to the open field so Minazuki could take off, she thought it might be a good idea to at least try having dinner with Kenpachi. If it didn't go well, then she knew that was something she didn't need to pursue further.

As she was about to pull Minazuki out, she saw Ukitake in the middle of the field. "Ukitake? What are you doing out here in this weather!" She ran over to him. His pony had more or less come out, and he was drenched and covered with mud and grass. He had a pained look on his face.

"Retsu, please...please listen to me!" That was the first time he had called her that in a very long time. "I was, and I am an idiot for letting you go! Ever since then, I regret my decision! My feelings for you have never changed, but I never had the courage to tell you. The thought that I might lose you, it nearly broke me. I thought this was the last I'd be able to tell you this. But, if being with him would make you happy, then please at least tell me you'll still remain as my friend."

He looked down and away. He then felt her arms on him as she gripped his haori. She looked up at him, with a sad smile, crying. "Do you think I could betray my own feelings? It was only ever you. There never was anyone else, Jushiro." She pulled his face down to her level, and kissed him. "I only ever could love you. That doesn't mean the pain I felt is gone, though. But, I'll forgive you, on one condition."

His face, which went from shocked, to red, to shocked again. "You have to stay with me, and say that you love me." He pulled her close to him.

"I love you, Retsu. I never want to let you go, never. Will you stay with me, always?" She was reminded of the first time he asked her out.

"As long as you always stay with me, I won't leave you." She had missed the warmth of being close to him like this. "Let's go back home," she smiled. She released Minazuki and offered out her hand as they both rode it down to the 4th Division barracks.

He took off his wet top and dried his hair, which when Unohana looked at him, caused her to blushed. He hugged her tightly from behind as she snuggled closer to him. He didn't plan on leaving her ever again. When he looked down at the small figure in his arms, it was easy to forget she was the terrifying 4th Division captain. But right now, she was his little flower. She held a piece of his hair between her fingers. "White means something pure and innocent..." she said, mostly to herself. "Something cleansed and born anew." He smiled at her.

"But we'll never have to start again, because I always want to be with you," he said quietly, as he kissed her forehead. With her red face, and hair braided behind her, she looked much like a child again. "You are mine, forever."

Red is for a blooming, passionate love

Black is for a dying, broken love

White is for a new, innocent love