Does anyone else have the problem of writing every chapter at least two different ways? It's really eating up my free time. This one wasn't the normal two though. It was like five and really annoying and after the fourth which was the last in a long string of unfoldings that I didn't like, I was finally through and said "I don't care how this one turns out. This is it!" And it was. :)

I kind of almost like this one... Still want to do another, but there are more chapters that need to be written so screw this one. I'm not doing it again.

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"Hanataro, are you okay?" Isane asked, putting a stack of paperwork almost half her height on the front desk which Hanataro was assigned, as the new recruits were done with any training with him, and sighed.

"Y-yeah. Why?" Hanataro was really trying not to wonder into any day dreams, but it was kind of hard for him not to. Sure, he wasn't looking forward to when the training got serious if last night was easy, but he couldn't help thinking about what Ikkaku will do afterwards.

"You've been weird all day."

"Sorry..." He began to wonder if his Lieutenant noticed Ikkaku's spiritual pressure in his room last night or was just too busy writing her nightmares down in a journal to sense his presence in the fourth division's barracks.

"Well, if Nanao comes by, I need you to send her to the Captain's office. I have to get moving," she picked up the stack of papers, which must have been extremely heavy for her to have to put them down when she stopped, but Hanataro was just glad that they weren't his responsibility.

Not ten minutes after Isane's visit, Nanao walked into the main door and seemed to inspect the place as if she were judging its worth by initial appearances. After a moment, she walked over to Hanataro, with a large leather-bound book cradled in one arm while her free hand went through the many papers stuck inside of it, pulling a small envelope out as she reached Hanataro's desk. Her tone, as par usual, was condescending and commanding authority that she didn't really possess, at least not to the extent she seemed to address in her voice. "I have an appointment with Captain Unohana." She handed Hanataro the envelope.

"U-um..." Hanataro fumbled with the envelope, knowing if he sent her from prior knowledge he'd be reprimanded by her for being irresponsible. Once it was opened, he skimmed it over and then handed it back to her. "I need to check to be sure that she's not busy."

"You should know that at least," Nanao sighed.

"I'm not her personal secretary, I'm at the front desk to help those who need to know where to go," Hanataro told her, though not raising his voice very much, he surprised himself and most everyone who was close enough to hear.

"Be more respectful to your superiors," Nanao instantly said as if it were a reflex, though honestly she was dumbfounded to see the shy and soft-spoken seventh seat to say something so out of line.

That could have been handled different, Hanataro thought and went off to check on his Captain's predicament before Nanao could see his embarrassed blush. He knocked on the newly installed the door with extreme caution, as if it would fall just like the old one. When that didn't happen, he heard Retsu call calmly for him to come in.

"Nanao is here to see you," Hanataro said lowly, trying to avoid looking at his Captain so she wouldn't see the blush that was still on his face. Maybe what he did would be no big deal for most people, but really he couldn't remember ever saying something so uncalled for. Even if she was being rude, that was one of the perks of being a Lieutenant. You were allowed to be rude to the lower officers because you had rank over them, just like officers were normally rude to the lower seated and unseated members of the Gotei 13. It was an unwritten rule that the Soul Reapers of Seireitei just accepted.

"Why didn't you send her then?"

"I-i wasn't sure if you were free... Sorry."

"I mean to my secretary," she looked up from her paperwork to see that Hanataro was even more flustered than his voice would have led her to believe. "Never mind, it doesn't matter. Please send her."

"Yes ma'am," he scurried out and in a few minutes was replaced by the ever confident Nanao, who came in with her usual frown, carrying a book that looked like it may weigh more than her.

"Good morning, Captain Unohana," she bowed customarily and stood by the chair until she was told she may sit.

"It's quite early for you to drop by," Retsu commented calmly and looked up. "Please, I didn't have these chairs put in here for no reason."

Nanao, ever respectful, bowed again and took her seat, laying her book in her lap and depicting to all eyes the most serious one in all of Seireitei. She never seemed to let even a flash of weakness show in any situation, though Retsu liked that about her. Some thought it must be awful to behave like her, but Retsu respected the strength that she had to be able to do what she did with practiced ease. Maybe most didn't like her perpetual facade of perfection, but she deserved some credit for keeping up the strong face at all times.

"So, Lieutenant Nanao, I hope you're possessing more than a passing interest, because I would love to inform you of why I was distressed the other day at the meeting, but if I do I would like your help."

"If I may be of assistance to you, don't hesitate to ask," she replied in a stoic voice as an obligatory statement rather than a sincere wish to be of use. If nothing else, she was one of the most duty bound people you would ever meet.

"Third Seat Ikkaku Madarame is in a relationship with my seventh seat. Hanataro is simply not prone to positive experiences in relationships, most of them involving emotion or physical abuse of some kind, according to Lieutenant Isane, who is close with him. I was angry with Captain Zaraki at the time because he is always causing problems in the fourth division, and Hanataro is my best teacher for new arrivals. I also care deeply for all the members in my division, so when they're put in danger I go to great lengths to protect them from that when I am able," she paused and smiled a bit. "I would like you to help me confirm Hanataro's health in this relationship. I would try, but he's too familiar with my pressure to not notice me checking up on them, but neither are too familiar with yours I take it?"

"I've never been close with either of them for extended periods of time, you're right," Nanao confirmed. "But..." Was it right to voice her complaints in this situation?"

"If you would rather pass then I don't blame you," Retsu said calmly and folded her hands on her desk, looking into Nanao's eyes and smiling gently.

"It's not that, but rather I've never been a spy. I don't know how efficient I would be-"

"Not a spy, dear. That's an awful word to use to describe yourself. Besides, a spy indicates that there is an enemy, and so far as I know there aren't sides established – yet, anyways. You're merely gathering information from people instead of books."

Nanao blushed, taking the comment as mockery instead of encouragement like it was intended. Though her respect for Retsu, who seemed to be a perfect example of what she wanted to be like as a captain, wouldn't allow her to form the word "No" in response to a favor asked. Nanao hesitated for a moment before agreeing to do what she could.

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Everyone had been released from work and after Nanao went back to her room to eat and wait until she felt both Ikkaku and Hanataro's spiritual pressures in the same area. It wasn't ten minutes before she felt them at the eleventh divisions training grounds and Nanao darted off, after cleaning up the dishes.

She picked a building that would conceal her well enough from the training grounds from which she found both Hanataro and Ikkaku to be. They were rather far, but she managed to make out most of the conversation and could see them well enough. Hanataro was covered in scratches and his words were interspersed with gasps, like he'd been crying and was trying to catch his breath.

Not so great as of yet.

"You shouldn't of did all that stupid shit and maybe you wouldn't have got cut up," Ikkaku said to his boyfriend, who he had pulled onto his lap after a long training session. He got pretty beat up from just some wooden training swords, but they had made good progress in just one afternoon. He was still horrible, but at least he held his sword without shaking now. Ikkaku figured they could work on his automatic response to jump out-of-the-way every time a sword was swung instead of countering it later.

"Ikkaku," he paused to catch his breath. "That's not fair. You shouldn't be so hard on me."

Ikkaku kissed the smaller man, and Nanao thought it looked quite forced, and she could see his feral grin from her base of operations. "Shut up, you promised you wouldn't complain, remember?"

"Yeah... Sorry."

That was enough for Nanao, though when she got up she heard Ikkaku yell something. She didn't make out exactly what, but she was pretty sure that she had seen all she needed to see. Ikkaku practically confessed to causing all though bruises and scrapes littering Hanataro's thin body. It was too late in the afternoon to drop by Retsu's quarters, or at least too late for such a visit to be polite between two people who hardly had any knowledge of the other.

A visit to Isane would be a different story though, due to the fact that they had gotten quite close since their time spent in the Soul Reaper's Woman's Association. Nanao flash stepped off to see the pale-haired woman as the two whom she was sent to investigate kept on quarreling.

"I-i just forgot," Hanataro said lamely.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry," Ikkaku sighed and kissed Hanataro on the cheek lightly on a bruise. "I have to do something with you."

"W-what do ya mean?" Hanataro asked, smiling a bit despite himself. Ikkaku lacked the ability to be sweet all the time, but when he was it meant a lot to the medic. His light kiss didn't cause any pain, and seemed to soothe his bruise more than anything.

"Get ya some confidence."

"It's not like you can just buy it at the store," Hanataro rolled his eyes.

"No," Ikkaku replied, pulling Hanataro closer to him. "But I musta found some somewhere to give ya, cause you'd never say something like that before."

Hanataro blushed, realizing it was the second time he'd spoken out of turn that day. "I-i-"

"Don't you dare say sorry, either."

"All right. Hey, Ikkaku, what do you think of Nanao?"

"Ugh... Bitch," Ikkaku grimaced and gazed off into the distance, telling Hanataro there was a story behind his dislike. Hanataro wanted to ask about it, but since the mood had been good all day, despite his own pain throughout the sparring Ikkaku had insisted upon, he chose not to.

"I have a story to tell you about her, it happened earlier today. I think you'd be proud of me," Hanataro smiled a bit and Ikkaku rested his chin on the top of his head.

"Let's hear it."

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What?

You think I would give Nanao two lines then send her on her way? (referring the Captain's arguing and then her wondering about Retsu.)

Nah. Just practicing with what I like to call "foreshadowing"! As you can seem I'm a real crap writer when it comes to trying my hand at prose or foreshadowing, but hey. I try.