Chapter Eleven: A Surprise for Moony
The next two days flew by quickly and before James had realized it the day of his appointment was upon him. He yawned as he made his way down to the ground floor and then to the infirmary, as he entered he noticed that Isshin was nowhere to be seen. Madam Pomfrey poked her head out of her office and said, "hello, James. Here for your check up?"
He nodded and hopped up onto one of the beds near her office before he said, "yeah. Lets figure out what's wrong with me." She snorted before getting out his file and putting it on a clipboard, Lily had introduced the muggle concept to her in her fifth year.
Madam Pomfrey smiled at the yawning man before she said, "can you stand up? I need to take your height and weight down to compare it to last years check up." He nodded and stood up, she then pointed her wand at him and said, "Invenire Pondus." As she cast the spell a light hit James then bounced back to the wand where it wrote out letters and numbers, she then jotted down the numbers.
She hummed and said, "well at least you're a bit heavier than last year. Even if you have be tossing your biscuits." He snorted at the bad joke before she turned back to him and cast a second spell, "Invenire Altitudinem." Again the light shot out and hit James before bouncing back to Madam Pomfrey's wand and spelling out numbers.
She looked over the two notations before she commented, "well thankfully your height hasn't changed. although I would have been surprised if it had."
James chuckled before he said, "so would have I."
Madam Pomfrey then pointed her wand at his wrist and said, "Invenire Pulsus," again a light hit James and bounced back to reveal a set of numbers. She then cast a second charm and it to revealed a set of numbers to her. She quietly said, "well, your heart rate is good and so is your blood pressure."
She looked up at him and said cheerfully, "alright lets get the mild diagnostic charms out of the way then if nothing come up on it we'll do a deeper scan. Okay?"
James nodded before he said, "sure thing Poppy."
She then pointed her wand at him before she said, "Invenire Infirmate!" The spell hit James in the chest before bouncing back to Poppy's wand and she placed the wand against a blank piece of parchment. She then looked the parchment over and frowned, "test is negative. No illnesses or sickness found… Alright lets do the deeper scan." She then pointed her wand back at James before moving the tip in a figure eight motion as she said, "Invenire Altum Infirmate!"
The light shot at James and hit his chest before disappearing inside him and after several moments it reappeared to shoot back at Poppy's wand. She again placed the wands tip to a blank piece of parchment before she read it, she shook her head and said confusedly, "I don't get this. You don't have the flu, stomach or otherwise. The scan has picked up on nothing that could cause you to have these symptoms…" She paused a bit as a sudden thought hit her and she turned back to James.
James raised an eyebrow at her, she sighed and said, "there is just one more test I need to run before making my diagnosis."
He nodded and said, "okay. If you can figure it out I'll be happy, after all being sick in the morning, afternoon and evening is not fun."
Poppy laughed and said, "no I imagine it wouldn't be. Lie back on the bed, for this test the patient must be lying prone." He shrugged but obeyed and laid down on the bed, she then stood beside him and pointed her wand at his abdomen. As she moved the wands tip in a slow figure eight she cast the spell silently so as to not alert James to her suspicions about his symptoms. A light shot out from her wand and went into his abdominal cavity, she said, "if the test is positive the light that emerges from my wand will be purple if it's negative then the light will be red."
Shortly after she said that the beam of light came back from James abdomen and hit her wand before making the wand glow a deep purple. She stared down at her wand before she made a mark in James file and said, "I had been somewhat hoping that the test was positive otherwise I would have no clue what had been causing your symptoms."
James sat back up before he asked, "what was that test for?"
As she made more notations in his file she said casually, "I really suppose congratulations are in order for you and Remus."
James stared at her puzzled before he asked, "why would you need to congratulate us?"
She looked up at him with a wry smile and said, "well to put it bluntly… Congratulations James, you're pregnant. Again." James stared at her before his eyes rolled into his head and he fainted. She blinked a bit before she muttered, "I wasn't expecting that response." She then bustled off to get the smelling salts before waving them under his nose.
When he woke up from his fainting spell he looked up at her and asked, "did you say I was pregnant?" She nodded and he swore lightly before he sat back up and said, "well at least that explains why Moony wasn't the slightest bit worried about my being sick. He could probably smell the child as soon as it was conceived."
Poppy frowned at the swearing before she asked, "James are you not happy that you're going to have another child?"
He shook his head and said, "of course I'm happy. It's just that recently Remus made a remark that I think is going to come back to haunt us." With that he patted her on the shoulder and said, "thanks Poppy. I don't suppose I could get some anti-nausea potion from you until my morning sickness goes away?"
She nodded and said, "of course. You know it's a good thing that you're not allergic to any of the ingredients unlike poor Sirius who had to tough out his morning sickness." She went into her office and grabbed a vial of the potion before she handed it to him, he tossed it back like a shot of whiskey before he grimaced at the taste.
She then handed him a glass of water to wash the taste out of his mouth with, he commented after he finished the glass, "you know we're lucky that it wasn't Lily pregnant or we'd have to find someone to be her assistant."
She nodded wryly before she asked, "do you have any idea of when you could have conceived?"
He shook his head and said, "not a clue, Remus and I were using contraceptive charms especially after how we got Kushina because we forgot. Why did you want to know?"
She sighed before she smiled at him and said, "I was merely trying to avoid having to cast another spell. Now stand still and let me cast this," James stood still as she pointed her wand at him and murmured a spell too low for him to hear. The light shot out to his lower abdomen and bounced back to her wand before she placed the wand tip against the parchment. She looked it over and said, "well it seems that you conceived in July, late in July would be my guess. You're about a month and a half or so along, you'll be having morning sickness for a while yet unless you get lucky. I'll have the house elves take you a vial every morning. Okay?"
"Okay, I'll make sure to take it." James said before he sighed and muttered, "I guess I better go break the news to Remus. Right?"
She laughed before she shooed him out of the infirmary with a retort of, "go tell your husband that he's going to be a father again!"
He waved jauntily back as he strolled away to the Great Hall to have breakfast, however right before he entered the Hall he put an angry and annoyed look on his face before he opened the doors with a bang. The students nearest to the door jumped and the paintings looked a bit startled, every student above fourth year that was currently in the Great Hall gulped at the look on their normally cheerful Transfiguration Professor. The black haired man stalked up to the Staff table and hit Remus upside the head.
Remus looked up at his mate in shock before he asked with a slight whine to his voice, "what was that for?"
James glowered down at the brown haired man and said, "that was for jinxing us on Monday." At Remus confused look he elaborated, "congratulations Papa, you're going to be a father again."
Remus fainted while Lily, Severus and Sirius laughed before Sirius said, "wow. Who'd of thought that you'd be having another kid when your oldest is sixteen."
James rolled his eyes at his mates dramatics before he replied to Sirius, "certainly not me that's for sure. Of course it you'd have told me back when I was sixteen that I would have a daughter who acted just like her father the school would have been in shock. I really hope that what Remus said won't come back to haunt us…"
Sirius winced before he muttered, "yeah, we were bad but imagine have the children of three Marauders in the school…" The entire staff table shuddered at the thought, Kushina walked into the Great Hall in time to see all of the staff except for her Papa shudder and saw her Papa lying on the floor unconscious.
She then walked up to the Staff table and asked curiously, "Dad, what's going on? Why is Papa on the floor unconscious?"
James looked up at his daughter before he ruffled her blood red hair and said, "your Papa is unconscious because I surprised him with a bit of news he wasn't expecting to get for a while."
Kushina raised an eyebrow at her dad before she asked sardonically, "oh and what news was this?"
James chuckled before he said cheerfully to his daughter, "congratulations Kushina, you're going to be a big sister!"
Kushina blinked for a bit in shock before she grinned happily and pumped her fist in the air before she cried out, "YES!"
The entire hall blinked at her rather enthusiastic response before Kushina latched onto her dad and asked, "how far along are you? Do you know if it's a boy or a girl? Are you feeling alright? Do you need me to make you something to eat? Are you getting any cravings for something?"
James finally put his hand over her mouth at the last question and said, "whoa, slow down there, baby."
"Sorry," she mumbled from behind his hand.
James laughed before he started answering her questions while still keeping his hand over her mouth, "I'm about two months along as far as Poppy can figure. No I don't know what gender the child is, it's too soon to be able to tell. I'm feeling fine now that Poppy has given me an anti-nausea potion. No I don't need you to make me anything to eat, the house elves are doing a good job so far. And no, I'm not getting any cravings yet, but as soon as I do I'll let you know. Okay?" With that he removed his hand from over her mouth to allow her to talk.
"Okay, Dad," with that she hugged him and walked back down to the Gryffindor Table, she sat down next to Tetsuzaemon who was right next to Ginny. She quickly pulled the Lieutenant into a discussion that no one except those nearest to them could hear.
James poked Remus in the side and said, "Remus wake up it wasn't that shocking of news. Hell our daughter took it a lot better than you did." Remus sat up dazedly before he simply stared at James abdomen and put his hand on it lightly, James looked down at the still dazed werewolf. He then up at the red haired witch nearby before he commented to her, "I guess he's not unhappy to be a father again."
Lily laughed and said, "well it looks like he's happy to me."
Shunsui appeared from out of the Senkaimon and nodded a greeting to Tessai before he cheerfully said, "your wife told me to tell you that if you don't come visit her soon she'd going to come to you instead." The large man paled and gulped, when his wife said to do something everyone even the Head-Captain obeyed her. With that somewhat terrifying message, or at least slightly terrifying message to Tessai after all making your wife mad at you is a bad idea, Shunsui got into his gigai and headed over to the apartment that was set up for Renji and Ulquiorra.
It had taken much convincing from Tessai and Kisuke to get Shunsui to not take a copy of the furisode kimono that was usually draped over his shoulders. His gigai was clothed in a brilliant sapphire blue dress shirt made of silk, he had promptly undone the collar button and the first two buttons. The shirt was tucked into a pair of black silk pants, he had pouted at the thought of wearing socks and dress shoes but put them on without complaint as it would look odd for a man to wear sandals with a dressy outfit.
The Soul Society had placed Renji and Ulquiorra near Uryu's apartment so that during the first few months of them being parole officers Renji could keep an eye on both Arrancar. He walked up to the door and knocked on it, he then hummed as he waited for one of the pair to answer the door, he could feel both of their spiritual pressure inside. After a few seconds he felt one of them approaching the door, by the feel of the pressure it was the green eyed Arrancar. When Ulquiorra opened the door he was wearing a pair of stonewashed blue jeans and a bright green shirt that had 'I'm going to my happy place, be back soon,' written on it.
He chuckled lightly before he queried, "you got that as a present from Kushina didn't you?"
Ulquiorra nodded while he sighed and said, "yes, for some reason Renji seems to find the writing on it quite amusing." With that he turned and led Shunsui further into the apartment after closing the door. He led him to the kitchen where Renji was glaring at a box and muttering incoherently about something. Ulquiorra smirked before he asked in an almost deadpan tone except for the slightly teasing lilt to it, "having trouble Renji?"
The red haired man glared over his shoulder at the short Arrancar before he muttered, "I can't make heads or tails of these directions…" Shunsui watched in amusement as the smaller male hip checked Renji out of the way before grabbing the box and Renji pouted down at the green eyed hollow as he easily fixed Renji's mistake.
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An hour later Shunsui was waiting outside of Ichigo and his friends school for Uryu and Chad to come out of the building, Uryu because he had to check up on how the blue haired hollow and his keeper were getting along. He was waiting for Chad so he could talk to him, as he stood waiting for the school to let out the teenagers that it contained he reminisced about how the decision he made shortly after Kushina's visit to her cousin last year affected the Seireitei.
He smirked to himself as he remembered the looks of utter shock and surprise on Shinji, Hiyori, Mashiro and Lisa's faces the first time they went drinking together and he didn't flirt with a waitress. All of the members of his division along with members of other divisions gaped at the Captain in shock, Shunsui Kyoraku…not flirting, unthinkable and yet it had just happened in front of them. The four Visoreds present dragged the protesting captain all the way to the fourth and asked Captain Unohana to verify that he wasn't sick. The whole time they had dragged him there he had been loudly protesting that he was fine, after a few tests Retsu Unohana confirmed his words, "he's completely fine. He's not sick, he's not under any type of compulsions or any such nonsense."
Shunsui got up from where he had been sitting on the bed and asked, "why did you think I was sick anyway?" The two blond Visoreds gaped at him in shock, his former lieutenant and her lover weren't much better than the married couple.
Hiyori pointed at him and shrieked shrilly, "you didn't flirt wit her and you aren't sick! What the hell is going on? You've never missed the opportunity to flirt with a beautiful woman in the entire time I've known you!"
At that Retsu blinked in shock as she thought to herself dazedly, 'Shunsui Kyoraku, not taking the opportunity to flirt… is the world ending?' She shook her head to clear that oddball thought from her mind as she watched as her sempai gaped at them in shock.
"Let me get this straight, you thought I was sick because I didn't flirt with someone?" He asked in a disbelieving tone, the four nodded their heads dazedly, he then scowled at them and said, "you always complain about my constant flirting. And yet the moment I don't flirt you think I'm sick. There is no pleasing you people!"
With that said he turned around and stalked off with a huff back to his division and office. Once he got there he threw himself onto his couch while grumbling about how if people overreacted if you change your routine in the slightest degree. Nanao looked up briefly from the stack of paperwork she was filling out and asked, "something the matter, Captain?"
He looked over at her and pouted before he said, "I just got dragged by Hiyori, Shinji, Lisa and Mashiro to the fourth division so Retsu-Chan could run tests on me!"
She blinked a bit in puzzlement before she frowned and asked as she stamped a requisition form, "why did they do that? As far as I recall you have already had your routine examination, all tests came back that you were perfectly healthy."
He snorted before he sat up and said wryly, "well I guess they didn't get the memo." he then looked over at her and asked hesitantly, "do you remember how Kushina came to the Seireitei a few days ago?"
Nanao thought back and recalled how Kushina had told her that she had given her Captain a kick in the pants about something at the time she assumed that she had gotten him to do his paper work. However her captain didn't seem to be talking about that but she nodded in reply anyways.
He sighed and stood up from the couch before he began pacing while speaking, "well during her visit I asked her for advice to a problem I was having…" As he spoke he glanced at his lieutenant and saw her completing the stack of paperwork he had left for her to do if she had to return to the Seireitei for a debriefing concerning her latest assignment. The Head-Captain had asked her to return yesterday to answer a few questions he had concerning how the Arrancar were behaving in the world of the living.
"What dilemma was that, Captain," asked Nanao as she placed the completed files into the outgoing box on his desk, which might as well be called hers since she used it more often than he did.
Shunsui rubbed the back of his head sheepishly although she couldn't see it, instead she heard him sigh before he said something that completely shocked her. "I'm in love with someone and I didn't know how to make them realize I was completely serious about them and quite possibly completely committed to them. I was trying to figure out a way to not only tell them I was interested but also let them know I wasn't ever going to change my mind about them or get bored with them."
She gaped at her captain for several moments before she gathered her wits about her and asked, "so what was Kushina's advice?"
He looked up at her and said, "she told me that if I wanted to let the person I liked know that I was utterly serious about this and them, than I should court them." He paused for a moment before he sighed and said, "she also suggested that if I absolutely couldn't completely give up flirting then I was to save all of my flirting for my love interest. She said that if they saw me flirting with someone they might believe that I was getting bored with them."
Nanao began gaping at him again when he said, "so I'm no longer flirting with anyone but the person I'm going to be courting. I've asked Byakuya and Ichigo to play as our go-between for now," he added absently.
He then snickered lightly before he said, "that's why those four dragged me to see Retsu. Since I didn't flirt with a pretty woman I had to be sick, you know it's kind of funny, everyone gets onto me for flirting yet the moment I stop I must be sick."
Nanao laughed lightly before she gently pointed out to him, "well you do…did, flirt a lot."
Shunsui pouted and muttered, "that's only because I had no one to be serious about. Now I do," he then pulled his sakkat down over his eyes as he muttered that. Nanao couldn't help how her lips twitched up into a smile at her captains antics, oh most of the time she hated how he acted but that was just Shunsui for you.
Shunsui shook his head as he remembered the look on everyone's faces when they had seen the memo he sent out at the advice of his lieutenant a few days after she had left back to the living world. He could recall the memo word for word he had written:
To whom it may concern,
I, Shunsui Kyoraku, will no longer be flirting with anyone except for one person, this is due to the fact that I am currently courting someone. Should this courtship be successful, than you will no longer see me flirting with anyone except for my spouse. In other words… Get used to it already!
Yours sincerely,
Shunsui Kyoraku
Captain of the Eighth division of the Gotei thirteen
His entire division had gone into shock and had the collective thought of, 'Captain Kyoraku…is settling down! What's next him declaring that he'll never touch another drop of sake again?'
He chuckled lightly as he remembered the looks of wide eyed astonishment that followed him for months afterward. He had fended off several women who had either asked him on a date or asked him what a handsome man was doing outside the school. A few asked for his phone number or tried to give him theirs, so they could call him or he call them. He had politely but firmly told them, "although you are quite lovely, I'm currently dating someone and I have no interest in dating anyone else. Thank you for the offer but I'm quite happy in my current relationship."
Meanwhile in Ichigo's home room, Uryu and Ichigo had been silently teasing Chad about his boyfriend for several minutes. However one of the girls sitting next to the windows squealed quietly, "oh my god. Who is that gorgeous hunk of a man!" She pointed down to the schools courtyard at the tree area where most students took their lunch breaks.
Ichigo being the one of the three nearest to the windows glanced out the window and gaped in shock, he then glanced around to make sure no one was paying attention to him. He then signed to both Chad and Uryu using the hand signs that Kushina had taught him and his two sisters shortly after she remembered them, he signed, 'it's Shunsui!'
Chad then frowned at the girls who were sighing over how handsome the mysterious man was, while he was doing that Uryu and Ichigo were using the hand signs to communicate. Kushina had taught Ichigo, Karin and Yazu all of the signs but had only taught the basics to Chad, Orihime, Uryu and Tatsuki. So when Ichigo had signed that the person below was Shunsui he actually signed, 'it is the captain of the eighth squad' which for the three involved could only mean Shunsui Kyoraku.
Shunsui was leaning against one of the trees while he was waiting for them to get out of school, while he was waiting Ichigo's hollow felt his Reiatsu and got curious enough to come out from his inner world. He popped up behind Ichigo suddenly and asked quietly in his Kings ear, "what is he doing here?" Ichigo jumped and scowled before he mentally sent back, 'I don't know. Why don't you go ask him,' he had said the last bit sarcastically but either the hollow couldn't tell the difference or more likely just ignored that it was sarcastically said.
Ichigo, Chad and Uryu watched in shock as the hollow easily made his way through the classroom over to the windows before he leapt out the open window. He then sped across the grounds and stopped next to Shunsui clearly asking the tall captain a few questions. It appeared that Shunsui was giving him short answers as the hollow frowned and made his way back to the building. He then leapt up to the window he had dived from and climbed back inside before he draped himself along Ichigo's back and said, "he wouldn't tell me! He said I'd find out as soon as you did, how much longer is it going to be before this this over with?"
Uryu glanced down at his watch before he commented quietly, "not too much longer now." Chad glanced down at his own watch before he nodded in agreement with Uryu's statement. None of the other students except Tatsuki and Keigo could see the hollow, however out of the two only Tatsuki had asked Ichigo and the others about him. Keigo was in denial, after all if he didn't say anything about it then he clearly couldn't see it, but he did listen in to the others explanations and later Tatsuki showed him pictures of those that were safe or rather relatively safe to be around.
Tatsuki ignored Ichigo's inner hollow with the ease of long practice, shortly after the first time it had showed itself outside of Ichigo she had confronted and asked Ichigo and the others about him. When she asked that Ichigo had stared at her in shock before he asked her, "you can see him?"
She raised her eyebrow at him and asked, "is there a reason I shouldn't be able to?"
Much to her shock all four teens had chorused, "YES!"
At her shocked and puzzled look Uryu explained, "only those with a high concentration of Reiatsu would be able to see him. I suppose your early childhood exposure to Ichigo's Reiatsu was enough to jumpstart your own into higher gear… After all both Chad and Orihime's did the same after relatively little exposure to it…"
Orihime sighed but rapidly explained hollows and shinigami to the puzzled martial artist. Tatsuki blinked and said, "okay so it's the job of the shinigami to deal with hollows right?" At everyone's nods she then pointed at Ichigo and said, "he is a substitute shinigami right?" Again they nodded and she muttered, "okay that's a little odd but I can live with it. So what do I do if I feel something like him?" She asked while pointing at the lounging hollow who was basking a bit in the sun.
Orihime sighed and said, "it all depends if it's a Visored you won't need to run, if it's one of six Arrancar you won't need to run either. On the other if it's not then you need to run as fast and as far away as you can and drag anyone that is there with you when you run."
Tatsuki stared at her red haired friend before she asked, "Visored? Arrancar? What in the world are those?"
"Perhaps we should merely have her meet them, after all if she can see them she would be able to get a hold of them even if they are out of their Gigai." Chad suggested quietly.
Tatsuki had been taught the hand signs at the same time as the Kurosaki siblings and could read them like a book. So she knew exactly what Chad, Uryu and Ichigo had been talking about the whole time they were speaking silently. She shook her head as the memory of the day she met the Visored and the Arrancar came to her mind. She had asked, "is there anyone who feels like him," she had jerked her finger towards the hollow at that, "who I don't have to run away from if I feel them?"
Ichigo had laughed before he said, "yeah, I'll take you to meet them." Three days after that conversation she had been introduced to both the Visoreds and the Arrancar, she had surprisingly gotten along well with Grimmjow and Ulquiorra. She had been deeply amused by how smitten the blue haired Arrancar was with the Quincy archer.
After the school bell rung to let the students go after a long day, the four left their homeroom behind after they had packed their things back into their bags. Tatsuki followed the three boys downstairs, they all then headed out to the courtyard. They overheard Shunsui telling a few girls after they had asked him what a good looking guy was doing alone. "I'm waiting for someone," was Shunsui's polite answer.
Shunsui then looked up and smiled lightly before he said, "and I do believe I just spotted them. So if you young ladies would please excuse me…" He then weaved his way through the crowd in order to walk over to Ichigo, Chad, Uryu and Tatsuki. The girls he had left behind scowled at Tatsuki thinking that he meant her when he said he had been waiting for someone.
He had nodded at Ichigo and said while handing over an envelope to him, "Byakuya asked that I give that to you. He said that you need to read it as soon as possible."
He then turned to Tatsuki and handed her an envelope as well before he said, "that is from Orihime-Chan."
She gave him a soft smile before she said, "thank you Kyoraku-San." She then began to open the letter and read it.
Shunsui then looked at Uryu and said, "I'll be by later on to check to see how well your kitty is doing with his socialization training."
Uryu nodded as he pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose before he said, "of course. Although considering he is a former stray he is rather remarkably well behaved."
Shunsui chuckled before he nodded in agreement and said, "Renji has had the same thing happen to him with his bat. He's constantly surprised by that little creature and when you consider who their former master was it's truly remarkable how well behaved and adjusted they are."
Uryu nodded before he looked down at his watch and swore mildly before he said, "I better get going. I have some shopping to do or my kitty will pout and be very upset with me for several days after this." He waved goodbye to everyone as he walked away from them.
While Shunsui and Uryu had been talking Ichigo had been busy opening the letter from his bonded, he hummed lightly as he read it. He looked up when Shunsui said in a sake roughened purr, "I'll talk to you later Ichigo. However I believe that Sado-Kun and I have an appointment that we cannot miss with one another…"
The tall teen blushed lightly before he nodded goodbye to the amused Ichigo and Tatsuki. The pair then walked to Chad's apartment, after both of them had taken off their shoes, they walked through the living area and heard a mew. Chad looked down to see his kitten bounding toward them, he knelt down and said, "good evening, Oscar." As Chad greeted the cat Shunsui noticed that for its size it had fairly large ears, its coat was a spotted coloration, it was a coal black while the spots were only a few shades lighter than the main black.
The cat rubbed his face against Chad's hand and then rubbed up against his legs, he then made his way over to Shunsui who had knelt beside Chan. He sniffed at the shinigami and meowed up at him demandingly while butting its head against his leg, Shunsui chuckled as he scratched the cat behind the ears causing it to purr loudly. The cat then flopped on its back and meowed, Shunsui lightly scratched at his belly before scratching him under the chin. "You're the first person he's allowed to do that, you know." Chad commented quietly while watching his Kneazle demanding petting and scratching from the older man beside him.
Shunsui blinked down at the purring cat that was moving its body to where his fingers were scratching just where the cat wanted them to. He looked up at the brown eyed teen next to him before he said, "really? But he's so cute, why doesn't he let people do this if he likes it so much?"
Chad looked down at his cat and said, "he's not really a cat. Here let me show you," Chad reached down and tapped on of the tags on the cats collar. A light shimmered over the cat and after it faded Shunsui noticed that the cats tail is tufted like an African lions. Chad explained quietly, "he's a Kneazle, the Kneazle's are very intelligent cat-like creatures that can detect unsavory or suspicious persons very well. They react very badly to such people, if a kneazle takes a liking to a witch or wizard, it makes an excellent pet due to the protectiveness they have for their owners."
Shunsui blinked and asked casually, "so what does it mean if they react like this?" He had gestured to the purring and affectionate feline that was now rubbing against his ankles.
Chad blinked down at the animal before he said carefully, "I think it means that you are very trust worthy and he feels no trouble with leaving you alone with me." Chad looked up at the grey-eyed man, "in other words he approves of your presence, you'd probably be allowed into my house even if I'm not currently home."
After a final scratching session by both men they left the cat and made their way to the kitchen where Shunsui took a seat at the small table in there. Chad however looked in the cupboard and fridge before he started pulling out ingredients. As he did so he looked over his shoulder and asked, "have you ever tried Guisado De Chorizo y Papas?"
Shunsui blinked in puzzlement as he tried to figure out what the dish was before he said sheepishly while tilting his sakkat up, "I don't even know how to begin to pronounce it much less what it is… So I think it's safe to say that no I've never had it, as least as far as I know." He then cocked his head to the left curiously and his hair pins glinted in the light coming from the window above the sink as he asked, "why do you ask?"
Chad stared down into the fridge and pulled out some sausage before he answered quietly, "it was my Abuelo's favorite dish. He taught ma how to make it shortly before he died." Shunsui's eyes widened in comprehension and kept quiet as he watched Chad put three tablespoons of olive oil into a deep pan.
Chad then chopped two medium red onions and sliced six button mushrooms before putting them into the olive oil. He sautéed them briefly before he added four cloves of garlic finely minced, three large potatoes that had been peeled and chopped. He also took nine ounces of Chorizo sausage that he had cut into bite sized pieces to the onions and mushrooms. He sautéed all of the ingredients until the potatoes started to brown but not allowing the garlic to burn, he then added two tablespoons of Spanish paprika, five cups of chicken broth, two bay leaves and two teaspoons of freshly ground black pepper to the pot.
Chad brought the pot up to a boil before he lowed the heat to where the pot was simmering and cooked it for twenty minutes before he tested a potato to see if it was soft. It wasn't so he let it simmer for another five minutes before he tested it again, this time finding the potatoes to be soft enough, he had skimmed the fat off the top the first time he had tested the potatoes. He then stirred in two tablespoons of finely chopped fresh basil into the stew as he turned off the heat.
Chad then ladled the stew into two bowls and set one in front of Shunsui as well as a spoon. He then sat down and motioned for Shunsui to try the stew, Shunsui took a spoonful and after he blew on it slightly to cool it down he ate it. After he finished it he murmured, "this is good…"
Chad blushed lightly before he started eating his bowl, while glancing up to see how much Shunsui was liking the meal.
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Several hours later Shunsui walked up to Uryu and Grimmjow's apartment, he knocked on the door and a few minutes later felt Uryu's Reiatsu coming to the door. Uryu looked out and said, "good evening Shunsui. Did your date go well?"
The grey-eyed man laughed before he said, "of course. We had dinner than watched a movie."
As he led Shunsui into the house Uryu asked looking over his shoulder at the broader man, "what movie did you watch?"
As they walked to the kitchen Shunsui replied, "some movie called Flubber. It was pretty funny, but Chad told me that the stuff in the movie isn't actually real."
Uryu laughed and said, "no it's not, if it was I think all of us would be going a little crazy." Uryu gestured for him to sit at the table while he peeked into the bedroom to check on Grimmjow, who was sound asleep in his futon. He quietly closed the door and walked back over to Shunsui before he said, "he's sleeping. Did you need to talk to him?"
Shunsui shook his head before he said quietly, "no I just need to ask you three questions concerning how you think he's adjusting."
Uryu blinked a bit at that before he said, "oh, okay. Ask away then," he then sat down at the table and stared at him.
Shunsui laughed quietly before he pulled out a notepad and said, "question number one: does he behave himself around people who are unaware of shinigami and hollows?"
At that question Uryu snickered in amusement before he raised dancing blue eyes to look up at him before he said, "yes. He joined an archery club a little while back and everyone that belongs to the club seems to like him pretty well. They've all commented that although he acts all rough and gruff, he's pretty protective of all of them."
Shunsui had wrote down that Uryu had answered yes before what the rest of the Quincy said dawned on him, he stared at the archer before he said in a disbelieving tone, "Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, former Sexta Espada of Aizen, has joined an archery club… What in the world possessed him to do that?"
Uryu laughed at the gob smacked expression on the captains face before he said with a proud little smile, "Renji took him and Ulquiorra to a small archery club contest. While Renji wasn't looking he signed up for the club, believe it or not most of the club has him show off a few of his sword moves every few days. It seems he managed to convert most of the club to like watching sword fighting."
Shunsui blinked before he shook his head and asked, "how is he doing at it?"
Uryu's eyes twinkled as he said, "he's doing very well actually. The head of the club has even suggested that he enter a few amateur tournaments to test his skills. He's been thinking about taking that advice…"
Shunsui shook his head in amusement before he made a notation on the notepad before he said, "well that takes care of both the first and second questions." At Uryu's curious look he explained, "the second question was: has he socialized with anyone voluntarily? Since he joined the archery club of his own initiative the answer to that question is yes."
Uryu looked at the older man in amusement before he asked, "so what is question number three?"
Shunsui glanced down at the notepad before he winced slightly and asked, "Do you feel safe enough around him to allow him out of his gigai?"
Uryu gaped at him before he spluttered in shock and neither of the men noticed that Grimmjow had woken up, and was standing in the open doorway of the bedroom yawning. When Shunsui asked the last question Grimmjow had only been half away but at that question he woke up completely and waited anxiously for Uryu's answer.
After several moments of stunned silence, Uryu exploded quietly, to keep from waking Grimmjow, and hissed to Shunsui, "of course I trust him. He's proven several times that he can be trusted, why wouldn't I trust him. Why did you ask that?"
Shunsui held up his hands defensively at the enraged Quincy before he said, "easy there. I had to ask because if you had answered yes to the question the Head-Captain said you have permission to let him out so long as you are supervising him."
Grimmjow had at first gaped at the slim archers impassioned reply before he grinned happily, as he was grinning he thought to himself, 'he trusts me!' He did a mental happy dance and subconsciously began to purr in delight at the thought of his chosen mate trusting him enough to allow him to be in his true form around him
Both Shunsui and Uryu looked up puzzled by the deep rumbling purr that rolled through the room. They turned to look at the bedroom and saw Grimmjow standing there, Uryu smiled in amusement at the sight of the rumpled looking blue haired hollow, who currently had the silliest looking grin on his face.
Much to Uryu's surprise and embarrassment Grimmjow strode across the room to him and scooped him up from his chair before he began to nuzzle his cheek against Uryu's. Shunsui watched in amusement as the former Sexta Espada purred contentedly while rubbing his cheek affectionately against his Quincy keepers. Except for the first startled squawk that Uryu had given he had remained quiet, after initially being startled by the move Uryu had started carding his fingers through the short blue hair of his captor. Both were startled by Shunsui clearing his throat to get their attention.
Once the Eighth division captain had their attention he said, "I'm glad to see that the two of you are doing well Grimmjow. Now that all of the questions have been answered I'll leave the two of you to your weekend." With that he waved goodbye to the blushing Quincy and the still purring hollow, he left the apartment and headed down the sidewalk.
However instead of heading back toward the Urahara shop he headed to the warehouse district of Karakura. As he walked he thought to himself, 'little Nanao would never forgive me if I didn't check up on Lisa-Chan while I was here.' In the back of his mind he heard his Zanpakuto make a noise of agreement about his statement.
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An hour later Shunsui headed back to the Urahara shop to drop of the gigai he had used, only to be told that he could take it back with him. Kisuke told him, "that's a new model that I've made. It becomes an object the moment it passes through a Senkaimon that leads to the Seireitei, and becomes a Gigai if it's on you when you go through a Senkaimon heading to the living world. So long as the object is not touching your skin when you come to the living world the object won't become a Gigai."
Shunsui hummed a bit before he smiled and said cheerfully, "that will come in handy, especially for Byakuya."
Kisuke smirked and said, "well Ichigo did ask me to try and invent it for him, for just that reason."
Shunsui chuckled before he called a Senkaimon to take him back to the Seireitei, after he returned he made his way to the first division and after he had given the Head Captain his verbal report was dismissed. He had been told to have the written report to the Head Captain by the middle of next week, he had then headed back to his quarters to get some sleep.
He had been startled by the Head Captain after giving his verbal report, the Head-Captain had told him, "you may go to the living world on the weekends only so long as you have finished all of your weekday paperwork. If you have not then I will not authorize you to leave and if you do than you will be held accountable, is that understood Captain Kyoraku?" He had rapidly agreed to the terms, a chance to head to the living world every weekend to see Chad, he'd do all of his paperwork for that.
As he removed his hakama to head to bed he thought to himself, 'I can live with doing my paperwork if it means I get to see Chad every weekend!'
To his utter surprise his zanpakuto agreed by saying, 'it'll certainly be nice to see him more often. I like him, do you think you could ask him if we can come out next time you watch a movie, Shunsui?'
He blinked a bit before he murmured back, "I'll ask him but I make no promises. We won't be able to see him until next weekend due to the report I have to write besides I can get a head start on the paperwork." With that he flopped down backwards on the bed and fell into a deep sleep.
