Disclaimer - I don't own Bleach or any of its characters.

The lazy captain and strict vice-captain. The ever adorable couple, Kyoraku Shunsui and Ise Nanao. I would like to dedicate this chapter to Cherrie.Checkaz. Thank you so much for your reviews!

Chapter 7 - Be In My Heart

1. Desk Of Doom

On Ise Nanao's desk, one can find the most interesting and bizarre things there.

For instance, at first glimpse, you can immediately see the mountain stacks of paper on top of the desk. In the only possibly distinguishable area of the desk, there were brushes, inks, stamps and what looked suspiciously like an empty sake bottle.

If you opened the first drawer to the right, you may find an extra pair of glasses (you can never too many of those), spare brushes, notebooks and more paper. As strange as it sounds, a straw hat can be seen stuffed into the very corner of the drawer.

The next drawer, the one on the left, had a few sewing needles and threads of different colours. A package of bandages, hangover medicine and sakura petals were all overshadowed by a rare picture of her and him together.

The bottom and final drawer was known as the "Drawer of No-Return". What went in stayed there. Such as love notes, dead flowers, dirty shoes, an empty shampoo bottle, a pillow, a couple of candlesticks, a broken leg of a chair, flowery hair clips, his diary and other unfortunate items that found their way in there.

It makes one wonder who's desk it really is.

2. One Vice Captain Please

He was sitting at his desk staring idly at the door, wondering which candidate for the position of vice captain for the Eighth Division would be next.

The previous vice captain collapsed due to too much work. Shunsui took pity on the young man, transferring him to another division that was more stress-free.

His successor did manage to cope with the paperwork, though she quit after one week, unable to stand the heavy smell of alcoholic beverages.

The fourteenth vice captain was a timid, naive girl, who either fainted or ran away everytime he attempted to flirt with her. Which was everytime he saw her.

Intelligent and efficient, the twenty-third vice captain seemed like the ideal vice captain. But he was clueless as to why Shunsui requested him to do trivial duties, such as plucking sakura petals and setting them aside for who-knows-what reasons.

So here he was, waiting to chose his one hundred thirty-eighth vice captain. He needed someone who could handle three times more work expected of a vice captain, tolerable to sake, able to withstand his dalliance, do the trivial duties without much question and many more of his weird requirements. Did such a person exist?

" Excuse me, Kyoraku-taichou." The third seat officer stood at the doorway. " A inquirer, Ise Nanao, is here for her interview ..."

3. Euphoric Bliss

Sleeping. It was his favourite pasttime.

He could sleep anywhere anytime. He slept during classtime. He could be found sleeping on the streets, whether it was morning, afternoon or night. Who knows how many times General Yamamoto-Genryusai caught him nodding off in captain meetings. Many of his subordinates found him snoring away in his office, sprawled in positions they didn't know was possible with a desk.

It was an absolute mystery as to what Kyoraku Shunsui dreamed about. What fantasy could make him smile and sigh like a fool? What nightmare could be so terrifying that even one of the first captains in Seireitei quivered in terror?

But no one realized that he dreamed of piercing eyes reflecting off a set of glasses, hair tied in a bun as tight as methodical as her personality and hands so slender and gentle it made him wince everytime she was forced to abuse them in battle.

He visualized seeing her wearing something more colourful and less stiff than her usual dreary uniform. Sake never tasted sweeter as she served it to him, even though he knew in real life she would rather dump the sake (along with him) into the nearest river. His heart stopped when she seductively leaned forward, long untamed hair dangling above his face, only for him to wake up in disappointment.

When his dreams did actually become reality, Shunsui decided that sometimes reality was better than dreams.

4. One-Of-A-Kind Nanao Type

There are different types of loveliness and cuteness. It's quite a hassle to figure out exactly what kind you are.

She, for sure, wasn't the shy type. She wouldn't blush and stutter if her best friend, also the Captain of the Tenth Division, snuck up behind her. That type was more suitable for Hinamori Momo.

Definitely not the silent beauty. That was reserved only for Kurotsuchi Nemu. Nanao hasn't even heard fifty words come out her mouth yet.

The dangerous classification was for Soi Fon. Maybe even Retsu Unohana. Cool and calm, those two knew how to kill with just one glance while still making every head turn.

Only Kotetsu Isane and her sister Kiyone, could achieve the natural class of beauty. Even Kuchiki Rukia fit into this category.

Matsumoto Rangiku and Shihouin Yoruichi was the type most girls would die to be: gorgeous, charming, big-breasted and downright fun to be with. Who wouldn't want to be a Matsumoto or a Yoruichi?

So exactly what type was she? She could be considered the scholarly type or the brainy type. But that was the boring type. Who would want to be that type?

Or maybe she was the one-of-a-kind Nanao type as Shunsui had claimed?

5. Through The Looking Glasses

What did Ise Nanao look like without her glasses? It was a question that boggled his mind for ages. The only people who has seen her without her glasses didn't live to tell the tale as Nanao only takes off her glasses when extremely irritated. So if he managed to make her angry enough, he would see her without her glasses, despite the consequences.

And that's what he did. He did everything he could to get her angry. His antics ranged from getting excessively drunk and retching on the documents to intentionally allowing himself to get caught trying to peek at her bathing to even showing up unexpectedly at the Shinigami Women's Association to bother her.

Matters finally came to an end when she demanded why he was doing this. When he told her his desire, she raised an eyebrow.

"That was what made you annoy me this entire time?" If looks could kill, he would be dead a thousand times, all in different painful ways. He tried to explain himself but she had already taken off her glasses and thrust them onto his face.

He had a glimpse of hazel eyes flecked with forest green, smooth skin that he never took notice before and a face of an angelic figure before he vision was overwhelmed with bright colours and shapes. A second later, she plucked her glasses from her nose and placed them back on her face in rapid succession.

" There. You had your wish," she dryly said, her back facing him as she walked away.

Mouth still gaping like a fish, he gave a squeaky whine. " Wait, Nanao-chan!"

6. Impressions

She made a note the first time they met.

Flirteous, sleeps a lot, rugged, smells like sake, contineously refers to "Nanao-chan" instead of proper name, has many queer hobbies ... weird.

The brush and the ink went overtime after she first witness him in battle.

Powerful, deadly, skillful, amazing, incredible, swift, stunning, dangerous, fascinating, alert, intriguing, impressive, vigorous, cunning, proficient, talented, adept, keen, strong, calm, agile, brillant, vigilant, enthusiatic, responsive, extraordinary

Mountains of papers flew unnoticed as Nanao wrote down on word repeatedly to describe her frustration.

Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy! Lazy!

There are many other detailed remarks written about him, both good and bad. What a pleasant surprise it was for Shunsui when he read the part about him being a good kisser.

7. Persuasion

" Nanao-chan ..."

" Not now."

" But Nanao-chan ..."

" What did I just say?"

" Please?"

" Later."

" How late is later?"

" I have a lot of work to do."

" You always have a lot of work to do."

" And you always have none."

" Just for a moment?"

" Kyoraku-taichou ..."

" Just one?"

" Really, a captain shouldn't be asking that sort of thing to his vice captain ..."

Shunsui grinned in victory as he exposed his puckered lips towards her. During this entire conversation, she never once said "no" to his request.

8. Know-It-All

" Something is different about you, Nanao-chan." He frowned thoughtfully at her. " Did you change your shampoo again?"

Nanao didn't bother looking up. " If I did, you'd be the first to know." She was slightly pleased that he did notice the faint strawberry scent wafting down from her hair.

He cocked his head to a side, staring at the glittering circlet at her earlobe. " You're wearing the earrings I gave you," he exclaimed.

" Well, they were collecting dust."

" And you're wearing the necklace too!"

She touched the gold chain around her neck, barely noticeable as it was hidden underneath her collar. How he noticed it was an enigma.

" Why, I don't believe it," he breathed fervently, almost nose to nose with her. " Nanao-chan, you're wearing makeup!"

Normally, she hated putting on cosmetics. The lipstick made her lips feel puffy and the tiny amount of eye shadow felt heavy on her eyelids. She must have poked herself in the eye a hundred times while trying to put mascara on. But today, she'll make an exception.

" What's with the sudden change, Nanao-chan?"

She finally looked at him with a disapproving gaze. " Don't you know what day it is today?"

Agaped, he grabbed her hands. " It isn't your birthday, is it?"

Nanao rolled her eyes. He managed to notice every single detail about her but failed to remember his own birthday.

9. Housewife

Ise Nanao would have made a great housewife.

She can cook, clean and keep the house in order. She can handle her husband and their children, making sure that none of them go out of line. She can sew her husband's straw hat and flowered haori whenever they get ripped. She can make sure the children don't find her husband's secret sake stash.

She knows which healthy foods to buy and which (sake) not to buy. She has a beautiful voice for singing lullabies, yet she mostly uses her voice for yelling at her husband. Any spider, cockroach or her husband stupid enough to annoy her was met with a heavy book.

Nanao really would have made a great housewife.

If only she didn't make her husband the househusband.

10. Second Nature

It was natural for him to worry about her. After all, this was the same woman who jumped off the Shrine of Penitence when he jumped off to catch his sake bottle.

For every wound she received in battle, he berated himself for not doing a better job protecting her. Then he would "help" her, wrapping more than enough bandages on her injuries or attempting to lessen the paperwork for her. If she receives as much as a paper cut, he would storm to the paper making store and demand why their paper is so sharp.

On more than one occasion, Nanao would be in the presence of another man. That's when he would spy on the two, waiting for the man to do something unchaste. And if he did, he would find two blades casually resting under his chin.

He was most worried after she declared she would follow him in his and Ukitake's attempt to save Kuchiki Rukia. They were possibly going to fight against General Yamamoto-Genryusai and every other captain. It would be a battle of monsters and he would hate to drag her into it. His fears were confirmed as Nanao staggered under a mere glance of the Captain of the 1st Division.

Sometimes, Shunsui thought that Nanao deserved someone better than him, someone who could protect her more effectively. But when she smiled at him, amidst her bandages, he realized she only wanted to be protected by him.