Chapter 13

Nanao

'What would you do if you found your partner having a wet dream?' Renji read. 'Well… leave the room, I suppose? Sorry, but I don't know you THAT well.'

Rose nodded. 'A prudent cause of action, that I would also take.' he said.

Yumichika grinned. 'Well, I don't always do the same thing. But generally, some where along the way, it leads to him waking up. And it always ends with us fucking. Now, how much details do you want?'
Ikkaku took over quickly. 'No details. I usually wake up Yumichika, and let him decide how to proceed.' Yumichika nodded.

.

They turned to look at Ukitake and Kyouraku. Kyouraku spoke first. 'Well, offer to lend a hand, or, usually, ignore it.' he said calmly. Ukitake nodded.
'I usually ignore it, unless he gets too loud for me to sleep, then I shake him until he shuts up.' he said casually.

'Wait… you are talking like that's a regular occurrence.' Nanao said, feeling herself blush. She did not want to know this.

Kyouraku grinned at her. 'We did share a dorm room for years, while we were teenagers. It happened. And we still stay over at each other's places sometimes, when it gets too late.'
Is there nothing that shocks them? She wondered. 'And that's just… not bothered?' she asked.

Ukitake smiled at her. 'It's not anything unnatural. It's just like snoring, a natural occurrence, that I ignore unless it gets too loud, in which case I shake Kyouraku until it's quiet again. He doesn't even wake up usually.'

.

Ukitake

It was amusing how shocked they were by this, and he felt Kyouraku laugh beside him.

Even in the academy, Ukitake hadn't really been bothered by Kyouraku making weird noises in some nights, he had just noted it down as another experience, and ignored it.
He had been embarrassed when he dreamed something like that himself… though that had more to do with Kyouraku's actions, both in his dreams and in reality.

.

'Sooo.' Lisa said. I didn't really expect them to just let that pass. 'Captain, did you offer to lend a hand?'

'Yep.' Kyouraku said cheerfully. Ukitake just rolled his eyes. He had gotten over that embarrassment a few centuries ago.

'When we still were in the academy. Ukitake didn't talk to me for more than a day after I offered.' He grinned widely, and Ukitake smiled back, amused.

.

He hadn't really been able to accept those dreams, back then, and when he woke up to find Kyouraku smiling down at him, saying. 'Good morning. May I lend a hand?' he had freaked out.

In his case, that meant that he had grabbed his clothes and flash stepped away. He spend a few hours hiding, and calming down.
He had realized then that he had overreacted. It was either a well meant offer, in which case a polite no would have sufficed, or Kyouraku's usual joking around, in which case he should have just ignored him. He had wanted to apologize then, but he hadn't known how, because he also absolutely didn't want to address the subject. So he had ended up keeping away from Kyouraku for the rest of the day.

They still hadn't talked the next day, when they were both sitting in their room. Ukitake had been studying when a coughing fit hit him.

He ended up kneeling on the ground, trying not to get blood on anything that wasn't washable. Kyouraku knelt down beside him right away, putting a glass of water on the desk, and just sat there with him, hand on his shoulder, until Ukitake stopped coughing.

It hadn't been that bad, he had been breathing normally again after just a few minutes, though he still felt shaky. Then Kyouraku had offered him a towel, a smile, and asked 'May I lend a hand?' Ukitake had looked at him, and doubled over again, laughing.

That had started his coughing again, a little, but this time that just made him laugh more. Kyouraku had laughed with him, and then carefully cleaned his hands and arms of the blood, and then just sat with him, occasionally chuckling, until Ukitake had calmed down.

Neither had apologized, it just hadn't felt necessary.

Though Kyouraku had later asked him if he could die from laughter, and if that was something he should worry about.

.

Nanao

Kensei spoke up next. 'Ignore him.' he stated. Shinji grinned. 'I would wake him, just to annoy him.' Kensei rolled his eyes.

Kira and Hisagi both answered: 'Ignore him' as quickly as possible, seeming uncomfortable.

Hisane asked 'Can we drop out now Rangiku?' in a quiet voice, barely audible. Rangiku took one look at her, and nodded, smiling reassuringly. 'We are done.' she announced loudly.

Lisa grinned at them, and then they both turned to look at Nanao.

She forced herself to be calm. 'Well, I would ignore her, leave, or hit her until she stopped, whatever worked best in the situation.' she said.

Lisa grinned at her, 'Such rudeness I will return to you: I would bind you with Kido while you are asleep and have my way with you.' spoken in a playful voice. 'Why bind her first?' Rangiku asked, looking amused. Lisa continued grinning. 'She wouldn't let me otherwise. And as her mentor it's my duty to teach her such things, isn't it?'

Nanao breathed steadily. It would not help to get angry, or to scream, or to attack her. Lisa would just ignore it. She spoke steadily, voice calm. 'Since I do not require your teaching I will in the future take great care never to fall asleep in your presence.'

She didn't look at anyone, as Lisa stared at her in silence for a moment, probably having expected more blushing and less response, until Yumichika took the next card from the pile on the ground, movement deliberately exaggerated.

.

Ukitake

He exchanged a look with Kyouraku, the other mirroring his worry. Lisa and Nanao didn't seem to be doing so well, but they couldn't do anything about this right now, not that he could think of anyway. Kyouraku shrugged.

Yumichika read out the next task, sounding pleased. 'Make out with your partner for at least one minute. Making out requires, but is not restricted to, embracing and tongue kisses.'

He noted Lisa's slightly evil smile, and Nanao's shocked expression, while Yumichika and Ikkaku started making out. They did not seem like they were planning to limiting themselves to a minute.

Ukitake appreciated the time, staring ahead, thinking.

No, he did not want to do this with Kyouraku, not as a game.

He took the moment when Lisa said 'That's more that a minute guys.' and most attention was on Ikkaku and Yumichika as they slowly separated, to lightly touch Kyouraku's hand.

Kyouraku turned to him, and Ukitake minutely shook his head. Kyouraku gave a tiny nod back, and a smile that Ukitake returned.

When Ikkaku and Yumichika sat beside each other instead of on top of each other again, and everyone turned to look at them, Kyouraku smiled, and easily stated 'We are dropping out.'

.

Lisa

That wasn't fair. They hadn't even talked about it, could they read each other's mind? From across the circle, Shinji looked at her strictly, before turning to Kensei, and kissing him for a good minute. Not that that surprised Lisa, they had both proven before that their competitiveness was far stronger that any restriction.

Kira was shaking his head when they looked at him and Hisagi, and they dropped out as well.

She caught Shinji's look then, challenging her. You're on. She thought, turning to Nanao. Who wasn't looking at her, but facing the circle, stating 'We are also dropping out.'

Lisa looked at Nanao, ready to protest, but the glare she got back actually shut her up.

This just wasn't her day.

Rose and Renji seemed to be uncertain how to proceed, so Lisa said 'Ten seconds, if you aren't kissing then you are out.' after which they quickly agreed to drop out.