Unohana Retsu awoke that morning slightly dazed, wondering if last night was all a dream. Yes, that's it. she thought, sitting up in bed and brushing her hair back from her face. There's no way I did that.
"Awake so soon, Retsu?"
She could practically hear the smile in his voice. She turned slowly to her left, realizing that he had an arm wrapped around her waist.
Sure enough, there he was, lying in her bed, smiling as ever a he pulled his glasses on to his face.
"Good morning, Sousuke. Should I fix some coffee?"
"You stay right where you are." he said, pulling her back to next to him. "That was really something, wasn't it?" he whispered. His smile widened as he saw the blood creep into her face.
"Yes." she said quietly. "That was... something."
"Something wrong, Retsu?"
"Sousuke, that was a mistake. I suggest you put some clothes on and leave my room, and we'll never speak of this again."
"Why are you so cold?" he asked, pulling her closer to him.
"I'm not cold, I'm realistic, Sousuke. Now please, let me go." Her tone of voice raisied the hair on the back of his neck, and he did as she asked. He stood up, pulled on his shihakusho, then turned around to glance at her.
"Retsu." he said.
"Yes?" she asked shyly, pulling the blanket up around her chest.
He stared at her for a minute, her dark hair fanning out around her and over shoulders, the deep red of the blankets contrasting with her pale skin... She was a beautiful sight indeed.
"Nothing." he said, finally, pulling his arms through the sleeves of his haori and beginning to take his leave. "I'll be back for afternoon tea... is that alright?"
She smiled, her eyes soft again. "Of course, Sousuke."
A small smile crossed his face. "Good. I'll be back later today, then."
After he had taken his leave, Retsu wrapped her arms around herself, unable to believe what had happened. Funny thing was, she'd enjoyed it. As much has she hated to admit it, she had, and he was making her fall head-over-heels in love- and quickly, too. She shook her head. She could not allow herself to go down this road again. If he made any more advances, she'd have to reject them, and get it into his mind that last night was a mistake and that they'll never do anything of that nature again.
A small voice in the back of her mind told her that she would be unable to reject any advances from that man.
She stood, and pulled her kimono around herself, shivering. She walked into her kitchen, prepared some oolong tea, pulled a good book from the shelf, and settled into her favorite chair. For now, at least, she would try to forget that anything had ever happened.
A knock at the door about an hour later jerked her out of her escape.
"U-unohana-taichou? Can I have a word?"
Retsu smiled. "Come in, Isane." She loved her liutenant like a daughter, and she was probably wondering what had happened to her captain.
The short-haired girl entered the room, looking stressed. "Unohana-taichou, what-!" She stopped speaking when she saw her captain, hair undone and still in night clothes, with clearly no intention of leaving her chair, her tea, or her book. "Unohana-taichou...?"
"I'm taking a personal day, Isane. I hope that isn't any trouble for you."
"No, of course not!" The girl bowed quickly. "It's just... well, I have a few questions for you..."
The motherly woman gestured to the chair next to hers. "Why don't you sit down, Isane? Would you like some tea?"
The liutenant waved her hand quickly. "N-no thank you, taichou."
"Now, then, what do you want to talk to me about?" she asked, closing her eyes and sipping her tea.
"Well, uhm... I saw Aizen-taichou leaving your room this morning, and-"
Retsu eyes snapped open and she promptly began to choke on her tea. After coughing a few times, she swallowed hard. "Is that what you came down here to ask me about?"
"Uhm, yes. Unless of course, you don't want to talk about it-"
Unohana put a hand up to stop her liutenant's speech. "Do you really want to know, Isane?"
"...Yes." the girl said.
"Alright, because I trust you Isane, I shall tell you, but you are never to repeat this information to anyone, and you and I will never speak of it again. Do you understand?"
Isane nodded once.
"If you want the truth, he and I had sex."
Isane instantly fell out of her chair. "Y-you did what, exactly?!" she cried, blushing.
"You don't know, Isane?" the motherly woman smiled, cocking her head slightly. "You see, dear, when a man loves a woman, they-"
"No, taichou, I know what that is, but...!" The girl looked, bewildered, at her captain.
"But what? Am I not allowed to have my desires as well? After all, it isn't like he's a subordinate of mine, or me one of his."
"Well, taichou, no offense, but you don't really seem like the kind of woman who would..."
Retsu lifted a pale hand to her mouth and chuckled behind it. "Well, you said you wanted to know, Isane, and so I told you."
Isane swallowed, trying to bring down the blush in her face. "You're right, taichou, I did ask." The girl stared at her lap before speaking again. "So..."
"So what?"
Retsu's liutenant turned a deeper shade of crimson and began fiddling with her hair as she spoke. "...What was it like?" she asked.
The taichou laughed quietly again. "My my, you certainly are a curious one when it comes to this subject, Isane."
Isane continued to blush. "T-taichou, if you do not want to talk about this, I understand."
"I don't mind." she responded, smiling. "What was it like? It was..." She recalled the night's events, then sighed. "Wonderful."
Isane could only stare. Finally, she raised an eyebrow. "Really?" she said, skeptically.
"Yes," her taichou replied, "there's nothing like it."
"Uhm, Unohana-taichou, do you think... do you think that you're in love with Aizen-taichou?"
Retsu blushed. "Do I think I love Aizen-taichou?" she repeated, closing her eyes and sipping her tea. She pictured her face in her mind, his smile, his laugh... the feeling of his hands on her, his lips on hers...
"Yes, Isane, I think that maybe I do."
The young girl was silent. "Wow." she finally said.
"Isane, let me give you some advice."
"I'm listening."
Retsu slowly opened her eyes. "Don't have to sex to find out if you're in love. Make sure that when you do... you know you're in love."
Isane smiled. "Thank you for the advice, taichou."
"Anytime, Isane dear." The motherly woman smiled. "Now then, I assume you can take care of the business for today...?"
"Yes, of course, taichou!" she cried, rising. "I will attend to that right now!"
"Good. Please, feel free to take a personal day any time you want to this following week."
Isane smiled gratefully at her taichou before taking her leave. "Thank you, Unohana-taichou."
As she stepped out onto the walkway, she noticed a figure headed her way. She continued onward, trying to figure out who it was.
The light of the sun reflecting off of glass told her immediately.
"A-aizen-taichou." the girl greeted, bowing in the presence of another captain.
"Good afternoon, Isane." he replied. "Tell me, is your taichou around?"
"Uhm, yes, she's in her quarters!" the girl stammered, unwilling to take her eyes off the floor.
"Thank you, Isane." he said, walking swiftly past her. Isane stared after him, wondering just what about him had made her taichou so smitten with him that she would... No. Isane decided not to remember that as she continued on her way.
--
Just as Retsu had found her place in her book, someone knocked at the door again.
"Yes?" she called.
"Retsu, it's me. May I come in?"
She blushed slightly. "The door's open, Sousuke."
He entered her quarters and then noticed her, in that small dark blue kimono, curled up in chair with her hair undone, a teacup in her hand and a book in her lap.
"I'm sorry, Retsu. Am I interrupting anything?" he asked, smiling.
"No." she said, closing the book. "I just talked with Isane a moment ago."
"Ah, yes, I saw her on my way here." he remarked, is eyes shining. "She seemed a bit... off. Do you know what was wrong with her, Retsu?"
Unohana smiled. "As a matter of fact, I do. You see, she came in questioning why she saw you leaving my room this morning, and so I told her."
"You told her what?"
"I told her what happened last night."
If Aizen had been sitting, he would have fallen from his chair. Sadly, he could only stand there, staring at Unohana, wondering what was wrong with her.
"What's the matter, Sousuke? Like I told her, I am allowed to have my own desires, and it isn't as if you are a subordinate of mine, of visa-versa. As captains, you and I are allowed to do as we please when it comes to each other."
He continued to stare. "Yes, but... can you trust that she won't tell anyone...?"
She smiled. "Isane is a trustworthy girl. Besides, the way I've seen your liutenant hovering over you, I'm sure he had some questions for you, as well."
Sosuke grimaced, remembering Ichimaru's pestering and questions this morning until he had finally told the boy that it was none of his business and to get back to work. "Yes, he did have some questions..." he finally said, "but that doesn't mean I answered them."
Retsu shrugged. "Alright. He's your liutenant and it's your squad, you'll run it as you please."
He stared at her as she sipped her tea. "Are you alright, Retsu?"
She stopped and stared back. "What do you mean? Of course I'm alright." She smiled. "Why would anything be wrong?"
"Retsu, I don't know about you, but I wouldn't really like to think about last night as a mistake..."
She sighed. "Is that what you came down here to talk to me about, Sousuke?"
"Yes?"
She closed her eyes and slowly sipped her tea. "You're making this harder than it needs to be by constantly bringing it up."
"So you would rather just forget about it?" His words seemed almost angry with her.
"Yes." she said quickly. "I'd also like to make sure that it never happens again."
He closed his eyes, pressing a hand to his forehead. "Alright. If that's what you want. Retsu."
"It is." she said cooly. "Is there anything else you want, Sousuke?"
"Actually, a quick question... does that mean I can't annoy you every afternoon for tea?" He smiled; watching the usually calm woman become so easily angered was hilarious.
She sighed. "Just because we made one mistake does not mean we have to write off the whole relationship." She smiled and stood. "If you'd like, I'll go make you some now."
His grin widened; he had her, there was no question about it. "That would be lovely."
As she disappeared into her kitchen, he glanced around the small sitting room. There was a desk not unlike his own in the corner; the two chairs and a small table were on the wall in front of him. There was a rug beneath his feet, covering a hardwood floor. Beautiful mahogany bookcases lined the wall behind him, while one held framed photographs and a small bud vase. It seemed to suit her.
She returned, steaming teacup in hand. "Here you are." she said politely, settling back into her chair. "You may sit, if you like."
He took the other chair and watched her. "Taking a personal day, are we?" he asked.
"Yes. All things considered, I felt that I needed a day to myself." she replied, sipping the tea.
"Retsu. I don't like how awkward this is getting. I consider you a good friend; let's not let one... 'mistake', as you would say, get between us, ne?" he said.
"You consider me... a 'good friend'? Nothing more? Then what was last night, Sousuke?"
He stared as he noticed the hurt in her eyes, though he was smirking on the inside. This woman was eating out of the palm of his hand. He liked it- controlling every aspect of her life, that is.
"You're the one who said we should forget about it, Retsu." he said quietly, and his words sunk slowly into her mind. What was wrong with her, she wondered, fidgeting with her sleeves, that she would become so emotional about this?
She lifted a pale hand to her mouth and laughed almost silently behind it. "You're right. I can be so silly sometimes." She smiled at him, her normal warmth in her eyes again. "Shall we enjoy our tea as usual, then?"
He smirked, marveling at how easy women were to control. "Of course, if that's what you want, Retsu."
Her eyes brightened, loving that she had such an understanding friend as she quietly sipped her tea.