I don't own bleach.
I would like to thank those who gave me their thoughts on the story, your insight was useful.
For those who have asked, I'm not sure that I want a Unohana x Isane romance in this story, after all Isane is trying to work out what the captains are hiding from her. So for the time being their just friends. (close friends)
Through some miracle Isane managed to avoid getting drunk and was able to return to her quarters for the night. First of she made sure Kiyone had been escorted home by captain Ukitake. Nanao had dragged captain Kyoraku home. Captain Unohana towards the end of the party had grasped her under the arm, doing the same to Hanataro and marched both of them back to squad four.
There's nothing like being walked home by your captain like you were her child being caught out late by their mother. She dropped Hanataro off first before guiding her to her own room. Instead of the drop and run she had done to little Hanataro, Unohana invited herself in to talk with Isane.
Not noticing that Unohana had come in Isane proceeded to strip for bed. Given that the stupid kimono was done up from behind, her large hands struggled to undo the offending material.
Seeing her Isane was struggling so much with a bow gave her a mischievous idea.
Sneaking up behind the poor girl who was yet to realise her presence was quite easy. Without a word Unohana undid the bow, allowing it to fall in her hands and Isane's kimono to open.
The sensation of an extra pair of hands undressing her, scared the life out of her to say the least but when your clothes slide open exposing your bare flesh to the cold night air one begins to panic.
"Sorry Isane, I thought you were wearing an underlay," Unohana smiled realising she had almost stripped her vice-captain naked.
"Captain Unohana," Isane inhaled.
"I was here the whole time, I don't mind if you continue to strip," this was becoming fun.
"I wasn't striping, I had a hand," Isane would have never admitted that her captain seemed a little perverted tonight.
"I only helped because you were struggling to undo the bow," she walked past Isane to sit on the edge of the bed.
"Is there something I can do for you?" Isane didn't want to be rude but she was tired.
"I wanted to talk with you, captain Zaraki bought a matter to my attention," the motherly woman gestured that Isane sat beside her.
"I swear I didn't give Yachiru too much candy, any sugar high was purely the result of what she ate before my arrival," Isane wanted to clear that up.
"Yachiru is always on a sugar high Isane, no its regarding comment you made within his hearing," Unohana pulled her down to her eye level.
"I'm sorry if I said something offensive," Isane quickly thought back to what she had said.
"Something about wanting to ask Hanataro out. He did also remark that you claimed it was a joke but he didn't believe that it was," Isane began to smile.
"It was a joke, Kiyone was bugging me and I knew the idea of me dating someone would get her flustered. You gave me the idea earlier when you were teasing me about Hanataro so I just played it off," Isane enjoyed being able to annoy Kiyone.
"Look at me Isane and tell me you aren't dating Hanataro," Unohana wanted to see her reaction.
Isane raised her head locking her gray eyes on her captains deep sea blue ones.
"I am not dating Hanataro. I love Hanataro the same way I love Kiyone. To me he is a younger brother, he will never be anything more than that," Isane spoke from the heart.
"Little brother, I thought Kiyone would have kept your hands full," Unohana believed her.
"You look out for him to, there's just something about Hanataro that makes you want to look after him," Isane wanted to cuddle him.
"Hanataro isn't a puppy Isane but I do understand where you are coming from. I remember a time where I spend the better time of my day watching over your shoulder," Unohana smiled remembering the past.
"I thought I had joined the division where the other squads used you for live target practice. I suppose I learnt flash step so quickly in order to stay alive," Isane hated being the new girl.
"I was thinking even before you joined my division, I had the pleasure of your company quite a bit in your younger years," Unohana was trying to make a point.
Isane blushed remembering all the times her now captain had been forced to take care of her.
"Isane Kotetsu, the girl who tried to conquer the world," Isane heard her laugh.
"I wasn't taking on the world, I was taking on that stupid tree," Isane hated being laughed at.
Outside of the Kotetsu family home was a tall tree, to a small child it seemed to reach the sky. Isane was quite bored out of her mind, due to Kiyone was a new born baby and Saya's attention was almost entirely devoted to the infant, leaving Isane to get into trouble.
Being the idiot she was, she tried to climb the tree every day, hoping to reach the sky. Every day she fell, hurting herself. Not wishing to worry her sleep deprived mother, she would suck up the pain and continue to climb.
One day Isane lost her footing and broke her arm, causing Saya to panic and a rush visit to the fourth division. Being about twelve at the time she had to be tended to by vice-captain Yamada, which later she would learn was Hanataro's older brother. He tended to her and sent her home. Two days later she fell and broke the same arm and both her legs.
Realising that Isane was doing something stupid to get hurt, he fetched captain Unohana. Thinking that Isane at her current rate was going to be right back with another broken limb or maybe break her neck alarmed them both.
Her first meeting with the motherly woman was the most frightening.
"I can still remember the strange look you gave me when I came in to treat you. It was 'who in the world are you and why are you here' look. I managed to heal you with the minimal of drama's, you fidgeted worse than Yachiru," Unohana was enjoying this.
"I remember alright, I also remember you telling me to be more careful," Isane fell back on the bed.
"You didn't listen though, the next day you were back. Saya had come running into the division carry you and a screaming Kiyone. You fell out the tree and broken your fall, this time you broke both your arms and legs and hit your head on a rock. I mended your bones but that hit to your head knocked you out for two days," Isane rubbed the back of her head.
"Waking up was when the nightmare began, the look on your face made me want to curl up and die in a hole. You kept me there for two weeks, between, Saya, vice-captain Yamada and yourself I swore to myself to avoid being injured or to die out right, just to make sure I stayed out of your care," Isane shivered.
"The two weeks were a vacation for your mother, she was having difficulties coping with Kiyone and didn't need you to add to her worries," Saya had been stressed out of her mind.
"I did keep out of trouble for a few days, then I become trapped when part of the fourth collapsed," Isane smiled at her handy work.
"I remember, it's not often that the fourth division so badly damaged. It took four hours to dig you out of the rubble," Unohana rested her hand on her shoulder.
Unohana had gotten her hands dirty once realising no one could find Isane in the aftermath. It was her who had pulled her limp body from the under the main support beam.
"I still have no idea how the room collapsed on me," Isane couldn't remember much about that day.
"An accident Isane, you were in the wrong place at the wrong time," Unohana smiled softly.
"'Bad luck Isane', 'danger prone Isane'," Isane could list what the members of the fourth nicknamed her.
"Yes, after that everyone thought of you as a black cat," everyone avoided Isane like the plague thinking the roof would fall on them.
"My entire life has revolved around the fourth division, knowing my luck it will end here as well," Isane knew this in her heart.
"Don't start talking like that Isane, if not I will rattle off other incidents you managed to get into before becoming a member of this division," being a captain was a lot of fun when you had someone to pick on.
"What could you find amusing, being buried by the ceiling inspired me to be responsible," nearly dying had changed her life.
"Two days after your thirteenth birthday..." Isane jumped back up, about to silence her.
"You begged me to save your life because you were too young to die," Unohana had pressed a finger to her lips to silence Isane.
"It took all my might not to laugh, I rarely have the pleasure of one so young in my care, so it's not every day that I have the enjoyable of experience of explaining what periods are," Isane was beet red in the face.
"That's one day would love to forget," Isane frowned for a moment.
The humour in her captains eyes died turning to sadness and angry for just a moment, such a reaction was worrisome. Nothing surprised Isane, she knew captain Unohana knew about her entire life even if she didn't admit it, so she knew about her past, the one they were trying to hide. The lie was something she had been drilling into her mind for all her living memory.
"It's humiliating having your captain explain everything about puberty. There is one conciliation, Kiyone is almost at that age, I'm looking forward to giving her 'the talk'," Isane gave invented commas.
Unohana's expression changed back, no trace of sadness in her eyes present, a perfect mask. Sometimes Isane wondered why she was forced to wear her mask or why she had perfected it so well that no one ever realised that she was wearing one.
"Going to traumatise Kiyone are you? Well at least invite me so I can watch," all she wanted was for Isane to be happy.
"I might do just that," Isane got up and grabbed her night clothes.
"Hang your kimono up once you undress Isane," Unohana rose to her feet, it was time to turn in for the night.
"Thank you captain Unohana, I enjoyed talking with you," any time spent in her presence was well spent.
Unohana smiled, gracefully moving to stand right in front of Isane. Gripping Isane by the shoulders she pulled Isane down to eye level.
"Happy Birthday Isane," she kissed Isane on her blushing cheek.
Isane was frozen to the spot her captain had just kissed her, even if it was on her cheek. Pulling away Unohana smiled at her handy work.
"Pleasant dreams Isane," she left Isane standing in the middle of her room.