Chapter 5

Lisa

'Look Nanao-chan, they got permission.' She held up the note from Rangiku for Nanao to see. The other woman displayed a certain lack of enthusiasm, stating 'Great. I have work to do.' in a calm voice.
Lisa rolled her eyes. 'As your mentor, I will from now on consider it my responsibility to make sure you spend more time with fun.'
While she was proud of her little girl for her efficiency, and for managing to run a division mostly on her own, she really didn't know when she had gotten so serious.

Nanao looked at her. 'I presently have the same rank as you do, and I spend enough time having fun. I have already read halfway through my new book, and I only got it yesterday.'

Lisa smiled. Who was she to argue against books.

'Fine. I concede that you often have fun reading. Want me to lent you some books then?'

Nanao pushed up her glasses. 'I know what you read in your free time. So don't bother trying.'

It was cute how she was already blushing. Lisa smiled, and sat back down at her desk to continue her work.

.

Nanao

Two day later, when Kyouraku had left to hang out with Ukitake, Nanao started to feel threatened when Lisa suddenly got up, wearing that look.
'I think it's time to enact the first part of our plan.' she stated, looking serious. 'Since valentine's day is in two weeks, we have to start acting if we want to get points one and two done before, and now is as good a time as any.'

Nanao had really hoped she had forgotten about that. 'Well.' she said. 'Then go do it.' feeling annoyed.

Lisa grinned at her. 'We will.'

We?

'So, they should be sitting in Ukitake's garden right now. We can go in over the wall in the back, and hide behind some bushes, as close to them as possible. Oh, and remember to hide your Reiatsu, that's important.' Nanao stared at her.

Why do I have to come?

'I think I'm still faster than you, so I will flash step us away if they come in our direction. Don't worry, they won't see us.'

'Why don't you go on your own?' Nanao managed to ask.
I don't even know how to `make suggestive sounds´. That's pretty vague. And won't they notice if there are two voices? But I suppose that's not really unrealistic…

'That's in case they catch a glimpse of us when we run away. It would be strange if there's only one person, wouldn't it?' Lisa said.

She started dragging Nanao out of the office. Nanao didn't fight her.
They have a point, this is not that intrusive. And if it works, it would be worth it, right? Worth lying in the shrubbery with my mentor, who isn't my mentor any more, making weird noises? If they do get together, yes, it's definitely worth it. Arg.

.

She started regretting that decision when she was lying behind a bush, less than ten meters away from their captains, and saw the scheming, plotting, crazy look on Lisa's face intensify.
Still, even recognizing the threat, she was too slow to stop the other woman, when suddenly her lips were on hers and her hand's pushed open the top of her uniform.

By the time the lips moved to her neck she had realized that screaming or any other violent reaction would just make everything worse.
And when Lisa whispered 'I can't hear you.' into her ear, and proceeded to make sounds herself while she continued her actions, Nanao did also make some noises. Only because that would get her out of here faster, of course. Probably.

.

Ukitake

He was sitting in the garden with Kyouraku, enjoying the tea, the company, and the sun.

He didn't think much of it when some leaves rustled in the undergrowth of his garden, but he did look up when he heard a surprised gasp from the same direction.

'Did you hear that?' Kyouraku asked him, and Ukitake nodded. Were there other Shinigami in his garden? He opened his mouth to address whoever was there, but Kyouraku shook his head, and seemed to listen intently. 'No spiritual pressure. That's weird.' he said quietly.
Ukitake nodded. It was true, he couldn't feel anyone else.

But he did hear them again, more gasps and some moans.

He was worried someone was hurt for a second, then he saw the grin on Kyouraku's face, and his over all very Kyouraku-typical expression, and understood.

Now, why exactly was someone making out in his garden? He felt himself blush, and Kyouraku chuckled, watching him.

Ukitake rolled his eyes at his friends. 'I know you're curious, would you just go look and ask them kindly to leave?' Kyouraku grinned at him and nodded, getting up.

.

Lisa

There was… a problem she had not anticipated. It had seemed to work so well. They were close enough to be heard, and her spontaneous decision to actually make out with Nanao, to add some authenticity, payed of. Nanao made some great sounds like this, and Lisa didn't have any trouble adding her own voice, louder than Nanao's.

But not she didn't want to stop. Couldn't stop, both her Hollow and her Shinigami side wanting to ravage that lovely girl in front of her. Mine.
But a part of her mind noted the quiet conversation to her left, felt her captains Reiatsu approach.

You promised her they wouldn't see us. She screamed at her mind, and tore herself out of it, grabbing Nanao and flash-stepping away as fast as she could.

.

She took a detour before flash stepping to the office, making sure Kyouraku wasn't following. Nanao didn't move in her arms, but she also didn't fight her.

Lisa took the time to think, going over her actions. Had it been wrong to kiss the young one like that? Well, she probably should have warned her, but it had honestly been a spontaneous idea. And it wasn't like kissing was anything bad, so it was fine.
And she somehow liked the idea of teaching her little girl new things, even if they now held the same rank.

Lisa smiled to herself, and decided not to fret over it.
Besides, it had been fun.

.

Nanao

She refused to let her body shake from the shock, instead staying perfectly still while Lisa carried her.

She was so angry.
So angry at Lisa doing something like that without her permission, like it wasn't anything important, and so angry at herself for not stopping her. And that too was a problem, because she shouldn't be angry at Lisa. After all, Nanao hadn't fought, and played along, and Lisa had gotten them away without being seen, as promised.

So when they arrived at the office, she just stood straight, brushed of any leaves that might have clung to her, and sat down at her desk, starting to fill out some of the papers again.

Lisa mirrored her actions, and they worked in silence until captain Kyouraku and captain Ukitake approached.

.

Kyouraku

He saw a Shinigami flash step away as soon as he neared the sounds, carrying someone else. He considered pursuing, but the fleeing figure was rather fast.

He shrugged and sat back down with Ukitake, who's blush had faded.

'Any idea what happened just now?' he was asked.

Ukitake's face showed a familiar curiosity, faced with a situation he couldn't immediately understand. Kyouraku had to stop himself from answering something along the lines of -people had been making out-, and explaining the details. Teasing Ukitake was not worth it, not if it meant he wouldn't keep that curious look.

'Hmm. I don't know. Another question: why would Lisa-chan decide that your garden is a good place to make out? She had to know we were here.'

That answer payed off, as Ukitake's gaze sharpened even more. 'Lisa? How do you know? And who was she with, a man or a woman?'
Kyouraku smiled at his inquiries. 'I'm not sure, but it looked like her. Dark braid, short skirt… but I only caught a glimpse. I think she was carrying someone.'

'That would generally suggest the other person is smaller or similar to her in height, meaning female, only Lisa is undoubtedly strong enough to carry anyone.' Ukitake argued.
Kyouraku nodded. 'I don't know how big the other person was, and there are small males. But I assume to pick someone up so fast, it would be easier if the other person was small. And if it was Lisa, I think female would be more likely. I think she's turned even more in that direction during her time in the human world'
Ukitake nodded. 'Agreed. So why?'
'I have no idea. I think I want to try asking her. Are you coming?' Kyouraku said, as he got up. 'Sure.' Ukitake answered with a smile, taking the offered hand and letting Kyouraku flash step them to his division.

.

Ukitake

Since Kyouraku knew Lisa better that he did, Ukitake decided to take the role of the observer in the conversation. So he just smiled at Nanao and Lisa, standing slightly behind Kyouraku, and watched.

Nanao was writing on some papers, and she seemed to be in a bad mood somehow. Lisa had also been working, but looked up smiling to greet them when they entered.

'Good afternoon captains.' She turned back to her papers, but Kyouraku spoke before she took up the brush again. 'Say, Lisa-chan, were you in Ukitake's garden?' he asked.

Ukitake noted Nanao tense. Interesting.

Lisa seemed perfectly calm as she answered. 'Since you know I have been there before I assume you mean just now? I've been in the office.'
Ukitake decided that he found it much more interesting to watch Nanao, who seemed to frown slightly at her papers then, before continuing to write. 'Why do you ask?' Lisa said.

'Well, I just saw someone there who looked like you. They flash stepped away quickly, but I did see a short skirt, like you are wearing. Who else could it be?' Kyouraku asked teasingly.

Lisa shrugged. 'Well, Nemu from the 12th division and Himani from our division wear similar skirts. I'm sure there are others, but I haven't been back so long, I don't know everyone yet.'
Kyouraku nodded. 'If you say so. It's not that important anyways, we were just wondering what they were doing there, and why they ran away so quickly.'

Ukitake watched as Nanao blushed, still not looking up, while Lisa answered relaxed. 'I wouldn't know, I'm not running away from you.'
'Well, then I don't want to keep you two from your work.'

With that, they left again.

'Did you see how Nanao reacted?' Ukitake asked him as they walked back.

Kyouraku nodded. 'A little. Also, Lisa was definitely there. The way she answered… She hasn't changed much in the last century. But she's not talking, so it would be futile to ask further.'

Ukitake nodded. 'Do you think Nanao might have been with her?' he asked, considering.

'Ha. That is an interesting possibility, isn't it?' Kyouraku laughed. 'Well, I don't know. And even if she was… I don't get why they would go there.'
Ukitake shrugged. 'I don't know. Well, it doesn't really matter.'

And with that they went back to their afternoon tea, and to enjoining the sun, the company, and the warm air.

.

Nanao

She tried not to let her embarrassment show, as her captain asked Lisa questions, and she did consider being angry at the other woman after all. But she couldn't help but admire the calmness with which Lisa answered every question, so she returned the smile the older woman gave her when the captains left.
'That went well, didn't it?' Nanao just nodded, and didn't say that it did not seem to her like Ukitake and Kyouraku were together, so `Went well´ just meant their first try at meddling didn't make anything worse than it had been.

Lisa grinned at her: 'Thanks for your help. We did great.' Nanao blushed at that, and it didn't help when Lisa patted her head -Like I'm still a child- and declared she would go tell their partners in crime of the `achievement´.

Only after Lisa had left did Nanao think of telling her to please not tell anyone they had… made out? She put her head on her hands, frowning.
Now she just had to hope.