Disclaimer: do I really need to keep repeating that I don't own Bleach or its characters?

A/N: so yeah, this flowed out really quickly…

Headline: A Party Part III/Brother Bonding

"Shunsui,"

Shunsui turned and grinned hugely at Yaso.

"Big brother," he greeted exuberantly, throwing his arms around the stoic singer and hugging him tightly. "Long time no see."

"Shun…are you drunk?"

Yaso was also undeniably a Kyouraku in looks. He was just barely shorter than his younger brother and looked even more like their father (mostly due to the black hair), though his nose was a little straighter and his eyes the same as their mother's.

"Not quite yet," Shunsui continued to grin. "But I'd like to be. Are you going to join me?"

Yaso shook his head frowning.

"I came to have a chat with you."

Shunsui pouted.

"About what?"

"Mum was saying you were going to play for her?"

"Eh?" Shunsui looked surprised. "This is the first I'm hearing of it."

"Are you in any condition?"

Shunsui shot him a look that suggested he was wondering if his brother was an alien.

"I'm not about to pass out or fall over, but I would have had less if I had have known,"

Yaso watched his little brother swaying on the spot.

"I hate to disagree but you do look like you're about to fall over,"

Shunsui made a face.

"And you smell like an ashtray, have you started smoking again?"

Shunsui shook his head. "I was outside talking to a few of the smokers. I'd say you could smell my breath to find out, but the alcohol fumes would probably make a weakling like you pass out."

Yaso rolled his eyes at his brother, but believed him nonetheless. Shunsui swore he was never going back down the path that involved cigarettes and drugs and his family trusted his word.

"How's Murasaki doing?" Shunsui wondered of his brother's wife of ten years.

Murasaki Kyouraku was a retired prima ballerina who now choreographed ballet productions for a living.

"…pregnant again,"

"Eh?" Shunsui was surprised. "Why haven't I heard about that yet?"

"We haven't told anyone yet," Yaso shrugged.

"Tonight will be a good night to tell mum and dad, you know they'll be thrilled."

Yaso nodded.

"Number six huh?" Shunsui grinned. "You sure mum and dad gave you the right talk about protection?"

Yaso blushed.

Murasaki and Yaso's first child, had been conceived on their honeymoon despite the couple's original desire to wait a few years before they started a family. Their second child had come along only a year later. Two years later they had twins and their fifth child had come along three years after that. All five were girls, much to Haya's excitement.

"You hoping for a boy this time?"

"A son would be nice," Yaso nodded. "But I'd be a little worried, what with having five older sisters who love to tie bows in everyone's hair; a mother who loves to teach boys how to dance and a grandma who dressed her own son in pink all his life."

Shunsui chose to ignore that.

"You're obviously forgetting that he'd be Kyouraku…even I didn't turn out gay despite mum's attempts to turn me into a girl…"

"You just made me even more glad that so far I have all girls," Yaso muttered.

Shunsui chuckled.

Before he met Murasaki, even the stoic Yaso had had his share of women.

'By the way, the girls have been asking when you're going to visit, and with your hair like that they'll have a truck load of fun."

Shunsui pouted. "I quite like my hair like this, I can live with them putting bows in my hair, short hair never stopped them before."

"It does suit you surprisingly well, it's hard to believe you never realized it before," Yaso nodded.

"You can tell them I'll be by as soon as I can clear my schedule for a weekend."

"You don't need to push anything aside for them."

"Of course I do, they're my nieces, and I'd expect you to do the same for my kids if I ever had any."

"Has mum started in on you about settling down yet?"

Shunsui shook his head, grinning.

"Thanks to you keeping her busy all these years she hasn't."

Yaso rolled his eyes. "It won't last. It's why I'm glad I married Murasaki when I did."

"Yes, which conveniently fell around the time I got clean, which meant mum and dad were too busy fussing with you and your quick growing brood to worry about me."

Yaso went quiet at the mention of Shunsui's old habit, it hadn't been a pleasant time in his life, watching his genius, spirited, younger brother slowly killing himself.

Shunsui sobered in response to his brother's silence, feeling a little guilty.

Yaso's couch had been a regular place where he and Jyuushiro had woken up until the later years of their addictions when Murasaki had entered the picture.

The event that had led to Shunsui and Jyuushiro being kicked out of Yaso's house wasn't something that either brother cared to remember, for different reasons.

The Kyouraku brothers had gone almost three years without speaking because of it, a silence which had ended the first family Christmas Shunsui had attended since he had been 17. Twenty-two and clean, the brothers had patched up their differences by choosing to never again mention what had happened.

Though, understandably, it had been a while before Murasaki had trusted Shunsui alone with her children.

"I hear you brought a date tonight?" Yaso finally pulled them out of the oppressive silence. "That's unusual for you."

Shunsui nodded. "Nanao-chan."

"Dad says she's your P.A.?"

Shunsui nodded again. "She really shouldn't be though."

"What do you mean?"

"She should be living out her dream."

Yaso frowned. "You're in love with her?" he guessed, surprised. He knew the difference in his brother's attitude and could see plain as day that it wasn't just denied lust that had his brother down.

Shunsui nodded once more and moved to lean back against the wall.

"Starrk's taken a fancy to her too though…she's seems more receptive to him."

"I find that hard to believe."

"I confessed to her, and gave her time, she hasn't changed her attitude towards me," Shunsui admitted to his brother. "All the things she would object to about a relationship with me apply to Starrk as well,"

"Objections?"

"The whole me being famous and everything that comes with it, not to mention my history with women; then there's the age difference."

"Which is?"

"I'm ten years her senior, but she's far more mature."

"That alone makes her sound perfect for you,"

Shunsui shrugged. "I made my feelings known, and I've been good since I told her. I haven't slept around or flirted until tonight but she doesn't seem to have noticed."

"Depression doesn't look good on you little brother," Yaso clapped a hand to Shunsui's shoulder. "Come, I'll have a few drinks with you if it'll cheer you up."

"Really?" Shunsui raised a surprised eyebrow.

Yaso just nodded.

Shunsui couldn't help the pleased quirk to his lips (it had been a very long time since Yaso had drunk with him) but still whined.

"You're a lightweight though, three drinks each and we'll be as drunk as each other…"

Nanao glanced over, finally spotting Shunsui again.

She had seen him flirting earlier, unfounded jealousy had formed in her belly, and she had seen him leaving on the phone…the woman had followed him out.

He had been gone a while.

She didn't know what had happened, but considering the woman's pout at now being forgotten and ignored, Nanao hoped she could safely say nothing had occurred.

Shunsui was clearly having a good laugh with his brother though, and Nanao couldn't help the smile that had tilted her lips up at the sight of Shunsui obviously enjoying himself.

It was too bad really, she had been hoping he'd come and rescue her, but she couldn't fault him.

As it happened, Haya did the rescuing, pulling Nanao away from the most boring conversation of her life.

"I wanted to speak to Shunsui but it seems all three of my boys are drunk," Haya pouted. "So I thought I'd save you and you could come meet someone before the speeches."

Nanao frowned curiously.

"Nanao, this is Kofuyu Jien and his daughter Uiko, she's taken over her father's writing," Haya introduced. "Kofu, this is Nanao Ise."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Ms. Ise," Kofuyu help out his hand. "Shunsui was telling me about you…"

A/N: don't forget to hit the button and leave a comment…