One Hundred Ways to Love
28 of 100: Clock
1200 - The Vice Captain
"Sir, here is your schedule."
"Hmm?" Honda looked up as one of the secretary's handed him a paper. Without waiting for a response, she wandered out leaving him o read alone. "What? Wait a minute!
In a flash he was up and out the door, barreling straight into another man's chest. He knew, before he could raise his eyes to confirm it that he'd just run straight into his Captain. And why not, he thought sourly, he had made himself look like an ass all week what was one more mistake?
"So sorry, Captain, I wasn't paying attention."
"Honda," Captain Kyouraku exclaimed before looping an arm around the smaller man's shoulders. "You need to focus. Nanao-chan ran a tight ship."
"Yes, well, about that Sir…" he motioned to the schedule in his hands rather helplessly. "Sir, I can't teach Advanced Kidou 4."
"Why not?"
Honda motioned wildly. "Because… because… because I can't do that. I was only in the class a month! I had four lessons with her! Even if I use her lesson book, which I looked at, I can't do it right. I absolutely can't teach other people how to do it, if the Vice-Captain knew-"
"Honda, Honda, Honda…" the Captain shook his head. "If you can't do it, cancel it."
"Well, Sir, there's some very…" he cleared his throat. "Studious people in that class and I'm sure if they found out it was cancelled-"
"Then teach the class."
"But Sir, I can't do that."
Captain Kyouraku was quiet a long moment. "Well… I can't teach it."
Honda stared up at the older man in silence. "I can't teach it either."
"Well," he clapped Honda on the shoulder. "Better figure something out. Good luck with that."
Honda watched him go in complete exasperation.
1338 – The Secretaries
"Wait, wait!"
Captain Kyouraku turned to see the four front secretaries staring at him wide-eyed.
"You're not leaving, are you, Sir?"
"My sweet Suki-chan, the day is young. I must be off."
"But Sir, it's not even two o'clock and you just got here an hour ago," one of the women protested.
"Darling girl, I am wasting my youth cooped up in this office. Would you have me become an old prune?"
The women exchanged glances. "Well, it's just that… morale has been scandalously low since the departure of Vice-Captain Ise not to mention that we haven't filed any paperwork with Division One in almost two weeks now. Not only that Sir but there are some people being shockingly hostile toward our new Vice-Captain."
"Honda is a man and men have to stand on their own two feet," he advised. "As for the rest of it…" he shrugged. "Have a good day; I'll have a drink for you."
They watched him go in silence. "He hasn't spent even half a day here since Vice-Captain Ise left."
One of them sighed.
"Maybe it's too depressing to come to work without her. I mean, you've seen the way he looks at her."
"Maybe he's spending all his time over at Division Thirteen?"
"No, I heard from one of the guys that the Captain spent almost all of last week dead drunk so I don't think he's been there with her."
"This is so depressing."
"Well, I for one thing it's a little funny. Did you see Vice-Captain Honda's expression this morning? That guy's head is going to explode soon."
1521 – The Water cooler Gang
"Did you hear? The Captain actually came to the office today."
"For more than an hour?"
"Uh, maybe an hour and some minutes I think. Then he left again."
"Where's Vice-Captain Honda? Doesn't Advanced Kidou 4 start in like a half hour?"
"Apparently the Vice-Captain nearly had a meltdown about it this morning, who knows what's going to happen with that. Did you see the damage to the front door? It's barely sliding in its tracks."
"If Vice-Captain Ise were here she'd roast our asses for that."
The group shared a round of grins.
"Who's gonna fix it?"
"Who's going to buy the coffee?"
A dark head popped in the doorway of the kitchen where the tiny group of three had assembled with their coffee mugs. Matching mugs, part of the kitchen set, which remained in the kitchen under threat of bodily harm from previous Vice-Captain.
"Wait! You mean the Vice-Captain didn't take her coffee? People! Make way for me!"
1850 – Ukitake Jyuushiro's House
"You mean you did nothing all day?"
Shunsui held up his sake cup with a proud smile. "I have done nothing for two weeks."
"How is Honda-san doing?" Jyuushiro asked taking a moment to rub the bridge of his nose.
Shunsui gave a shrug. "Haven't spent that much time with him. This morning he was stressing over Nanao's kidou classes."
"Oh! Is he teaching those? I didn't know he had such capabilities."
"He doesn't." Shunsui grinned.
"You're allowing an unskilled man to teach Advanced Kidou?"
"Doubt he went through with it, he was practically shaking this morning at just the thought of it."
Jyuushiro frowned. "I understand you're upset over losing Ise-san, but you have been a little harsh on your new man, haven't you?"
"Harsh?" Shunsui challenged. "I lost Nanao because I was stupid and confessed to her I screen all her challengers; if I'd kept my mouth shut she would've kicked his ass and I wouldn't be in this position. Honda being my Vice-Captain is an absolute fluke!"
"So basically it's all your fault."
"Hey, Jyuu, I don't need an analysis… but that aside, I've got a plan. Nanao-chan says she'll come back at the end of December and re-challenge, but that's not soon enough."
"Oh? What's the plan?"
"Actually," Shunsui sat back. "I don't need to do anything. As long as I continue to do nothing Division Eight will melt down and Nanao will have to come back to rescue it."
"Err, Shunsui, I might reconsider that. The Commander might not agree with your plan to win her back."
Shunsui gave a shrug. "Won't be the first time I get in trouble."
"Can you really not survive without her for three months?"
"It isn't about survival, Jyuu. It's about comfort. I haven't had a change this big in my life in almost a century. Which reminds me – how's she doing? Last I saw her she was threatening your staff to get paperwork."
The two men shard an amused smile and Jyuushiro poured himself a cup of sake. "I had no idea she was such an amusing woman. Sentaro and Kiyone came to visit me after hours one night, presumably to check on me, but they ended up staying over two hours regaling me of stories of things she's done in my absence. It's fantastic."
"I'm glad you're having fun," Shunsui sourly noted.
"Don't be a spoil-sport, besides you're getting her back. Not only did she manage to dim the enthusiasm of Kiyone and Sentaro, she apparently wiped the floor with one of my accountants."
"Really?" Shunsui. "Tell me about that."
