"You have to be kiddin' me..." Shinji gave the paper a distasteful look, then glanced up at the short woman who was glaring down at him. "You are inviting Captain Kurotsuchi?"

"He said I would never find someone who could put up with me. His invitation is my way of rubbing it in his face that he was wrong and I was right. It is good for his ego to get knocked down from time to time." Hiyori said shortly. "Besides, he won't show up. I told Urahara that he had to come looking like a human, no makeup, no hat."

"Oh, alright then. That's not going to happen, so no issue. The rest... I guess that covers most of my list too. Are you sure about having the Eleventh there?"

"Well... No, but Ichigo is coming, and that means his dad is coming, and that guy is nuts, so he is bringing most of his seated officers from the fourth, and Isane is dating Ikkaku, and Ikkaku won't come without half his division tagging along. If you think you can break that chain anywhere, go for it, but I'm not scraping you off of anything."

"Fair enough... We were gonna have to bring extra booze for the First Division anyway." Shinji set down the invitation list and gave his partner a soft smile. "It's really gonna happen, huh?"

"Yeah... Seems like we've been edging around it for a century. Oh wait..." Hiyori smirked and sat on the desk, crossing her legs and systematically rearranging every item around her out of its proper order. "Not having second thoughts, are you?"

"None. I will admit, I'm nervous, though." The blonde man looked around his office. "I might be the first captain in history to marry someone who's not officially a member of the Gotei 13 or a noble family... Think the Central 46 is going to get word of it an' throw a fit?"

"Would you let them stop us?"

"No. That's a stupid question." He picked up a heavy cup from his desk and closed one eye, sizing up the wall at the corner of the room before throwing the cup hard. It made a hollow thump, and a few seconds later, there was a sharp knocking on the door.

"Captain? Is everything okay?" Lieutenant Momo Hinamori cracked open the door, having learned a long time ago that if she couldn't see Hiyori somewhere else in the division, there was a strong chance she was with the captain.

"Oh, Hinamori. I just dropped something, but since you are here, could you deliver this to the Ninth Division to print and distribute?" Shinji gave his most winning smile and held up the list of names.

"Of course, Sir!" Momo took the paper and was out the door in an instant.

"That was a blatant abuse of power. Using a subordinate for your personal errands. You should be ashamed." Hiyori laughed and then smiled at her fiance. "I'm nervous too. I keep thinking about you in the hospital after the war... If we had been... Together then, I don't know if I could have handled it. Do you think it will get easier or harder to watch each other risk our lives?"

"I think it will be easier, if we don't have anything left unsaid between us. But we'll probably die together. I'm always going to be there to watch your back, and I doubt I'll be able to get you to stay home if I am going in to battle."

"You got that right, Baldy!" Hiyori leaped off the desk and grabbed her uniform. "I'm going to go give your subordinates some training. Hope the Eleventh isn't training today, or the Fourth is gonna be overworked tonight."

"I wondered why I kept getting dirty looks from Captain Kurosaki..."

"It's good for them! If they can't hold their own against a Visored, what good are they?"

"You are stronger than anything they are ever likely to face, you know. That is like belittling you for not beating Ichigo."

"No, cause beating Ichigo is actually impossible. These guys just aren't trying hard enough!" Hiyori grabbed her Zanpakuto from the hook by the door after she was dressed and hung it over her shoulder. "I'll meet you over at the Eighth when I'm done. We're having dinner there tonight."

"Did they invite us, or did you just invite us?"

"Are you saying no, either way?" Hiyori held a threatening flip flop in her fist.

"No..." Shinji sighed and shrank back in his chair. He had made it a week without a shoe mark on his face, and he planned to make it to the wedding that way.

"Good answer."