Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

Enjoy!


Shunsui drank down another glass of whiskey and paid no heed on its taste or the raging headache he was having already. He needed to forget, and the only way to do that was to drown himself in alcohol—or so he thought.

Even drunk, he could still hear the soft taps on the door of his bedroom. He wasn't up to talk with somebody yet, so he instead yelled an audible 'leave me alone' from the inside. As if somebody in this damned mansion could understand what I'm going through.

The knock subsided, but a person came in. When Shunsui looked who it was, he found her staring at him—his mother.

When Retsu heard from the maids that her son had caged himself in his bedroom, she couldn't help but worry. It was been a long time ago since they had been together as mother and son. She noticed that when she and her husband had sent him overseas, her son had become more distant and very unlike his usual self than before. But then she knew too well, that she had failed to give him enough love expected from a mother.

"What are you doing here?" Shunsui asked, snickering.

Retsu ignored it and approached him on the end of the bed and sat beside him. "Tell me, what's wrong?" She rubbed small circles on his back. "I will be more than willing to listen whatever it is."

"Why should I tell you?" He looked at her intensely, quickly forgetting that it was his mother he was talking too and not just an ordinary maid.

Retsu returned the intense look with a sincere smile. "Because I'm your mother."

"Damn, yes, you are… even though I hate to admit it. You never cared for me!" He paused to let out a long breath. "And I think I know why."

She stayed quiet.

"Because I'm a nothing but a prick who never done something good enough, and whose destiny is to ruined somebody's life. Life of someone so kind… and wanted only nothing but peace. I hate myself so much! I'm right, aren't I? You also wanted me gone for good!"

Retsu's eyes softened. "Please don't think of it that way…"

"Why the hell not?!"

His mother shifted closer to him. "Because you are who you are." She slowly moved to hug him. "You are special in a way. Everyone is. We do not wish something like you to be gone because you're our treasure. Everyone has mistakes, but you should be able to correct it and you just have to learn from it," she told him affectionately.

Shunsui didn't move away from the embrace, or returning it back. "But my mistake is something that cannot be corrected," he replied in a low voice.

"Then all you have to do is accept what was served." A pause. "Because maybe, fate has better plans for you in the future."

Shunsui didn't answer and began looking down, thinking thoughtfully.

"You know… you're the first one who should accept your own self. By doing that, you'll find happiness."

Retsu never let go of his son, but this time, Shunsui hugged back.


"Ukitake…"

"Oh, Shun!" Ukitake frowned. "What happened to you?" he asked when he saw the brunette, eyes bloodshot as if he cried all night with no sleep, standing there waiting for him to show up.

"I'm fine, really." Shunsui forced a smile while trying to figure out how to talk to the other with feeling so guilty. "I have to take care of some business these few days back. Luckily, I found something very important." He reached for his coat's inner chest pocket and handed him the picture he found inside their gardener's diary, looking away.

When Ukitake found it on his hands, he couldn't believe his eyes. "You…It's…" He gasped.

"I found them. Your father is actually working for our family after he decided to follow you here in the city. In fact, he had taken care of me when I got…" he caught himself. "Back from America. Since then, I've always treated him as my father. Good news is that they had moved out of the South Province when a horrendous fire burned everyone in there. Bad news is that Yama-jii got a heart attack the previous night before and that he's still at the hospital."

"Is he alright?"

"Yeah, I'm just waiting for him to wake up so that I could tell him about you."

"Thank you… thank you."

It's the only way I can do to repay your kindness. "It's tomorrow, right? Wherein you will disappear in this world and your soul will be finally at peace."

"The sooner, yes."

Shunsui walked towards him and hold Ukitake's shoulders on both his hands. "I wouldn't forget you. So please don't forget me too."

Ukitake smiled sadly. "I won't. I promise."


When Shunsui went back to Yamamoto's room, he found the older man's children were all present. Yamamoto was finally awake himself and was sitting up too, while Chojiro was making him a cup of tea.

The old man found the brunette leaning on the door frame, smiling at him.

"Shunsui…"

At the mention of his name, the said man had stridden towards the other side of the bed, while on the left side were Yamamoto's sons. "You're finally awake. I was worried here for a while." Remembering his reason why he came back there, he spoke up. "Can you tell me something about… Jushiro?"

"What the hell do you want?" Kaien intervened harshly. "That's the only name I don't want to hear."

"Kaien." Yamamoto looked at him which silenced the former. "Well, you read it. Everything's in there. I don't wanna talk about it anymore."

"If I tell you something about him, will you listen?" Shunsui asked lowly.

They waited for him to continue.

"He never forgets about his family for the whole two decades wandering alone. Because twenty years ago… he saved a little boy who got involve in an accident. Unfortunately, he was the one who died. And you know who that lucky kid is?" He smiled warily. "It's me."

That earned him startled little gasps from the people inside the room, but Yamamoto remained impassive.

"All these years, I was thinking that maybe he didn't want to went back where he belong, a vey poor kind. But sometimes, the idea of him actually deceased also entered my mind, but I hate to think otherwise. And you told us all, at least now we're not having grudge towards him for leaving us. I finally understand that it was actually him who suffered." He held Shunsui's forearm. "He chose the right person to save and I agree with his decision. Thank you."


The evening that day, Yamamoto was discharged out of the hospital. He decided to stay with his family in the end. The next day morning, the exact location where Ukitake died was blessed by a local religious leader, and a proper funeral and burial was held in a different place later on. Shunsui attended both.

And then the night came, the last moments of the ghost in the world.

The brunette found him in the rooftop this time while it was raining. It was raining the whole day. "Hey…" He found himself beside the ghost, getting wet under the rain without any umbrella. "I guess this is goodbye now…"

"Yes…" Ukitake replied. "Are you going to miss me?"

"You have no idea…" They looked at each other for a while and with all will and courage he pulled Ukitake towards him, meeting him in a tight embrace. Ukitake retuned it with the same affection.

"I think I already found out the purpose of my existence."

"Which is?"

"To know and meet you even is a short span of time."

They stayed like that, not budging for a moment until the transparent ghost glowed with yellow light, in which Shunsui thought it made Ukitake looked more angelic. The soul's feet up began to dissipate which only made the brunette felt morose.

"I'm leaving now, Shun…" Ukitake smiled. "But don't worry; my presence will always be beside you… I'm your Guardian Angel, after all."

And with one last lingering look, he was gone. But this time, it was for an eternity.

"So you know from the beginning, huh?" Shunsui told himself.

Oh well, back to normal life again.


I don't know who to put as Ukitake's twin brothers. Supposed to be Sogyo no Kotowari but I don't think they'll fit in the role. Anyway, just imagine Ukitake having twin brothers.

I know it's not as romantic as you thought. I really suck at romance.