The Following Days
Second Date

The following Monday Shunsui slowly made his way into the barracks, yawning softly as he trudged to his office. Though he was sleepy he had a bit of a smile on his face. Not the typical smile he usually held. This one actually made him look to be excited to be up in the morning. That was certainly odd for him to be excited to be up early that morning. He stopped in front of his office door and he smiled a little bit. He could sense her reatsu in the office. Early as she always is. He thought as he opened the door, walking inside to see his busy bee of a lieutenant already at work on her papers, "Good morning Nanao-chan~" he greeted her in a sing song voice. Nanao looked up at him and gave him the faintest of smiles as she tipped her head to him in a greeting.

"Good morning captain. You're in a rather chirpy mood this morning." she said as she watched him walk over to his desk to sit down, looking over at his stack of papers to start off that week's work. He gave her his ever friendly smile and he tipped his head.

"How can I not be when I get to sit in the same room as the lovely lady I took out to dinner?" he asked her, Nanao rolling her eyes as she turned her gaze back to her papers that she was working on. She heard him speak again and she sighed silently, shaking her head before looking back up at him, "Sooooo~ Is the wager still going on? You did send me that text after I dropped you off at home~" he informed her, Nanao gripping the pen a little tighter as she blushed faintly.

Clearing her throat, she placed her pen down and she sat up in her seat, pushing her glasses up on her nose, "I did send you that text. As you can see there is a considerable amount of work to be done this week as well. But, I will hold true to my wager from last week. If you can complete this week's work by Thursday then I will let you take me somewhere else Friday evening." she said to him, his smile turning into a grin and before her eyes she saw him get to work. He looked way too overenthusiastic about it but it was rather funny. Nanao had a few questions she wanted to ask him but at the same time she didn't want to make the work day awkward so she just kept her mouth shut about them for the moment.

"Ah-haa~ I knew my Nanao-chan couldn't resist~ I'll have to think of something that can top our dinner~" he mused, ideas instantly running through the Casanova's head as he imagined what adventures he could take Nanao on next.

She looked over at him and raised an eyebrow, "If you don't get started on your work then there won't be an outing on Friday." she reminded him, making him chuckle as he picked up his pen to continue working on the papers placed on his desk when she came in earlier. She watched him for a few minutes after he fell silent, shifting through the papers and signing whatever lines needed his signature. A minute or two later she heard him humming a tune softly to himself. that small but goofy grin still on his face. With a little smile on her own face she got back to her own work, content with the silence that filled the room.


About an hour or so later she finished her own papers and she placed them aside, glancing to Shunsui's desk where she saw he had finished maybe half of his papers finished. She stood up and she placed her neat pile of papers in the out tray and straightened up her uniform, "I'm going to go ahead and take my lunch sir. I'll be back in an hour or so." she told him, Shunsui pouting at her.

"You're gonna leave me all alone in here?" he asked her in a whining sing song voice. She rolled her eyes and she placed a hand on her hip as she looked at him.

"What? Do you need a babysitter captain? I won't be gone for more than an hour. Just keep working on your work and I'll be back. I'll even bring you food." she said with a smirk before she turned to leave, closing the door behind her. After leaving the barracks she flashed a short distance away until she found herself in front of the Tenth Division. She made her way into the division and she headed down the halls, finding Rangiku's office before she knocked on the door, "Rangiku? It's me." she said, loud enough for it to travel inside. She heard a 'Come in~' and Nanao opened the door, finding Rangiku reclining on the couch with her feet propped up.

When she saw it was Nanao she instantly grinned and jumped up, "Nanao! Ohhh come in come in! You promised a story and I'm expecting a story!" she exclaimed as she nearly dragged the poor lieutenant to the couch that she was previously sitting on, "So! Tell me all about it. Was he nice? Was it romantic? Did he kiss you? Di-" she began to Nanao quickly put her hand on Rangiku's mouth to silence her, Rangiku blinking her big blue eyes as she settled down.

Once she knew that Rangiku was listening she retracted her hand and settled both in her lap, "Friday night was… actually very enjoyable. He took me to the First District to this little restaurant that barely had enough seats for ten people. In… fact he bought the place out for the night… so it was just us. We had a Kaiseki dinner and just… talked. It was actually quite nice. I learned a lot about him that I never knew before. After dinner he walked me home and then we said goodnight. He made sure I was inside before he left." she said as she leaned against the arm rest of the couch. Rangiku just had a smirk on her face as she looked at her, her head slightly tipped.

"Ohhh~? You enjoyed it then? That's good. I didn't know how good Captain Kyouraku would be at normal conversation. Did he act like a pervert? Say anything inappropriate?" she asked next, Nanao shaking her head.

"No. I gave him the rules I penned out on his desk and he actually signed it and gave it back. He kissed my hand once or twice but that was it." Rangiku giggled softly and scooted a little closer to her as her grin broadened. She could tell Rangiku wanted juicy details but there really weren't any to give.

"Uh-huh… Soooo~ You gonna go out with him again?" Ah, there was the question Nanao was waiting for. She cleared her throat softly and blushed faintly, Rangiku giggling as she bounced on the couch, "You did! You so did! You have the hots for your captain~" she sang with a grin, Nanao only blushing more.

"T-that's not it! It's just nice not having to do his share of the paperwork so… I agreed that if he got this week's work done then on Friday we could go on another outing. And I don't have the hots for him Rangiku. That's completely unprofessional." she defended, Rangiku crossing her arms over her chest as she raised an eyebrow with a skeptical look.

"Yet you're calling these outings 'dates' around him though? Are they dates or outings?" she asked her, Nanao opening her mouth to reply but Rangiku shook her head, holding up a finger, "I'd be careful though Nanao… DO you know if Captain Kyouraku is serious about these dates/outings? He could actually really want to date you." she said in a more serious tone, Nanao looking at her with slightly widened eyes before she looked away with a sigh.

Her fingers began to fiddle with her sash and her shoulders gave a little shrug, "I… don't know Rangiku. You know how he flirts… He's been 'chasing' me for years but in the meantime he's also been chasing other women…" she said, her voice dropping to a softer tone, "I'm not his type anyways… I don't know why he'd be interested in me. I'm boring." she said with a small frown, Rangiku chuckling as she waved her hand dismissively.

"You aren't boring Nanao. A little too much work and no play, but you can have fun. I've seen you have fun. You just have your own ways of having fun." she said as she propped an elbow on the back of the couch, crossing one leg over the other as she looked at her downcast friend, "Look Nanao, if he's not interested, do you think he would have asked you out for a second date? Do you think he would have stayed up at all hours the first time to get his papers done to win the wager? Don't sell yourself short."

She chuckled softly and gave a hint of a smile, "But I am short. at least compared to him. He's gotta be at least a foot taller than me. Besides… he hasn't even finished today's work so he might not even finish it this week. He might just decide he doesn't care and right back to the way he was." Rangiku smirked at her and she tipped her head with a curious look.

"And if he does finish his work?" she asked her, Nanao shifting her gaze back to Rangiku as her fingers fiddled with her obi all the more.

"Guess we have a date on Friday then." she answered, making Rangiku squeal as she began to muse about all the different dates Shunsui might take her on. This was going to be a longer lunch than she anticipated.


THURSDAY

The end of the work day was nearing at the Eighth Squad, Nanao walking around the barracks to get some loose ends tied. Itonly took around 45 minutes or so before she returned to her shared office where she saw Shunsui finishing up the last few pages of his own paperwork. She smirked and checked the clock on the wall, "You've got two minutes. Better hurry." she said with a grin, crossing her arms as she leaned against the wall nearby to watch him shuffle through the papers.

He glanced up at her and he smirked, placing the paper he just signed into the out tray and then he quickly took the last one, "I only have one more and all it needs is my signature~ Once it's signed then I get another date with my lovely Nanao-chan~" he chimed in a merry voice as he took his pen to the page, signing his name where it required his signature and then he lifted it over the tray, letting the page fall into the out tray right as the second hand ticked and the clock chimed four o'clock. He gave her a victorious grin and it made her sigh but chuckle at the same time.

"Guess you win the wager again captain. Like last week, after work you can take me on an outing of your choice." she said with an affirmative nod, Shunsui standing up with his stack of papers in his hands. Nanao went over to collect the papers and then her own and she held them to her chest, "I'll go take these to the mail room so they can be taken out immediately. I'll see you tomorrow captain." she said, giving him a little bow before she made her way out of the office and towards the mail room. Shunsui peeked out of his office to watch her walk away and soon another familiar face turned the corner. Shunsui smiled as Jushiro Ukitake came walking down the hall, wearing his ever charming smile and his hands tucked in his sleeves.

"Well hello there Jushiro. How are you on this fine day?" he asked, Jushiro raising his eyebrow as his smile turned into a little smirk.

"I'm as well as I can be. I came by to ask if you wanted to come by my home for a cup of tea and have a little chat." he said, Shunsui nodding as he closed the door to his office and walked over to Jushiro to start walking out of the office with him.

"That sounds good. I could go for a cup of tea." he said, tucking his own hands into his pockets, "Nanao is going on another date with me tomorrow." he told him nonchalantly as they walked down the pathways that winded down through the Sereitei until they led into the Rukongai. Soon they reached Ugendo where Jushiro went and prepared them some tea, meeting Shunsui at their usual spot in the gardens where they enjoyed talking.

After sipping on the tea, Jushiro leaned back a bit and he looked over at his friend, "So, she agreed for a second date?" he asked, Shunsui nodding with a smile as he lifted the cup to his lips to take a drink.

"She did. I completed my paperwork for this week so she's honouring her promise like the loyal woman she is." he said, leaning against the tree trunk as he pulled a knee up slightly, propping his cup on it, "I think I have an idea on where to take her next. I might need a little help planning it but I figured I could find some help." he mused, Jushiro glancing over to him to see him flashing that smile that told him exactly what he was wondering.

Chuckling, the white haired man shook his head and took a long draw of his tea, letting the warm liquid sooth his throat before he spoke, "Alright, so what's your idea for a date this time? You took her to dinner, but I'm sure you can think of a ton of other things to do for a date. You're you. You're always taking women out on dates." he said but Shunsui shook his head, giving Jushiro a little smile.

"Yeah… but Nanao-chan is special…you know that." he murmured quietly, swirling the tea around in his cup as his brownish grey eyes looked into the dark liquid that sloshed around. Jushiro studied his features for a while before he sighed softly and he placed his cup down on the grass they were sitting on. He smirked to his question on where he was taking her and he lifted a finger, "Ahh~ That you'll have to wait until after~" he said, Jushiro pouting lightly before he hummed and smiled faintly at him.

"You really love her…" he murmured, Shunsui giving a little nod as he chuckled quietly. He never really imagined himself actually settling down. He was always the one who rebelled, who didn't want to settle for the norm. That's how he ended up at the Academy and into the Gotei 13. He liked going to parties, get togethers and social scenes where the booze and women were a plenty. But after a few recent years something changed inside him. A certain lieutenant with raven hair and dark blue eyes who wasn't afraid to smack him with a book or a fan. The lieutenant who, despite all his flirting and inappropriate behaviour, stayed by his side and made his Division thrive, who never left his side if he found himself in the 4th needing treatment. Hell, she cried in the hallway during that incident with Hitsugaya and Kusaka. At least that's what Jushiro told him.

Shunsui laughed softly at himself before he let out a breath, "Pathetic isn't it? This old man acting like I am… She's probably just doing this just to get me to do my paperwork on time for once. But… even if that's the extent of it… I'll take what she gives me, even if it's not a lot." he said, finishing his tea before he put the cup down a little ways from him.

Jushiro hummed quietly and he tucked a lock of his white hair behind his ear, "You never know… perhaps… she feels the same but never knew how to approach it. You know how she overthinks situations. She probably refuted your advances because they were so bold and flirtatious. Some women still like the concept of courting Shunsui. Nanao seems like the one who would like to take things slow. Just… go her pace." he suggested with a small smile. In truth he thought it could go either way. Shunsui was one to go hard and fast and if he wasn't careful he could spook Nanao.

Shusui's eyes flickered to Jushiro who was offering him a small smile and he gave him a small one in return, "Slow and steady wins the race right?" he asked, Jushiro nodding to him.

"Exactly my friend."


FRIDAY AFTERNOON

Nanao was pacing a bit around her small home, wondering where her captain would sweep her away this time. She glanced over to her small eating area where the vase with a now dried rose was still sitting in the middle, the red ribbing still tied in a pretty bow on the stem. Would he send another rise this time? She didn't have to wonder much longer because just a few moments later there was another knock on the door. Like last week, by the time she opened the front door whomever it was was now gone and there was a white envelope on the door mat. She bent down to pick it up and opened it, blinking when she pulled out what looked to be a book cover, "A book cover…?" she murmured softly, sitting down to flip it open.

Thought we'd go the the Living World tonight. Something causal to wear is fine. If you don't have an outfit, we can go get you one. More fun to have right?

Shunsui

She chuckled softly as she closed the book cover, looking at it as she tipped her head, "What in the world could this mean…" she murmured softly, placing the book cover on the table beside the vase before heading upstairs to get ready. She put on a flow black skirt that went down to her knees, picking out a soft green shirt to go with it. She didn't have many clothes from the World of the Living but she coordinated them well so she could make many outfits from just a few pieces of clothing. She slipped on a pair of black flats and fixed her hair into a ponytail rather than a bun, heading back to the den where she'd wait on Shunsui to arrive. Like clockwork, he arrived an hour after the note appeared just like last week and she waited a moment to open the door. Couldn't look like she was too eager right? When she opened the door he'd be standing there, sporting a pair of dark grey pants and a light blue shirt as well as a matching grey jacket. He also had on a pair of suspenders that he was actually able to pull off rather well. His hair was in its usual ponytail with the hair pins tucked into the base, "Good afternoon." she said to him, a light blush appearing on her cheeks as she looked him over. Out of his uniform the man could clean up rather well. Shunsui gave a little bow before smiling at her.

"Good evening Nanao-chan~ Are you ready to go?" he asked her curiously, Nanao nodding as she locked her front door behind her, "Good! I'm very excited to take you to this special place I found. I know for a fact you'll love it." he mused, making her raise an inquisitive eyebrow as she looked up to the tall man standing beside her.

"Oh? What makes you so sure?" she asked him curiously, Shunsui just grinning as he led her to the Senkaimon.


They made idle conversation as they made their way through the Senkaimon and into the World of the Living. Shunsui made arrangements with Kisuke to provide them gigsais which they were now wearing. He guided her down some streets until turning a corner, Nanao looking up at the grand building that was directly in front of them across the street. Her eyes widened behind her glasses and a soft gasp left her parting lips. Right in front of her was a grand book store, the building designed like an Edo-period palace, "What is this place?" she asked in awe, not breaking her gaze on it to even look at Shunsui who just smiled.

"This is an old book store. It carries rare books in many different languages. I've heard that it even carries first editions on occasion. I thought you'd like to visit." he said, not able to say anything else because before he knew it she was taking hold of his hand and was practically dragging him across the street, making him laugh softly. Luckily the street they were crossing had the pedestrian signal on giving them the OK to cross. Nando's flats made soft tapping noises as she went up the stairs and stopped just short of the grand double doors. She hadn't realized it but she still had a grip on his hand. He didn't mind it. Not one bit. He liked it really. He reluctantly released her hand however to open the door for her and she slowly walked inside, keeping that deer in headlights look as she looked around her.

"Oh… my gods…" she whispered softly as she looked around at all the books. The walls were lined from floor to ceiling with shelves, all lined with books of all shapes, sizes, colors and ages. Most of the book cases had sliding ladders to get the hard to reach books that were up at the top. There were even spiral staircases that led to a second level of books. One corner had a reading nook and another had a place to buy beverages and snacks to enjoy while reading.

Shunsui followed behind her with a smile on his face, just enjoying her reaction to everything. She took a long, deep breath, taking in the scent of the books. Ever the bookworm, she loved the smell of books. New, old it didn't matter. Every time she read a book she would flip through the pages and smell it, "What do you think?" he asked her as he stood beside her and she finally broke her age from the wonderland around her to look at Shunsui, a grin on her face.

"What do I think? How come I never knew of this place before?! It's incredible! I could get lost in here for hours…" she said, blushing softly when she realized she must have sounded way too excited about books, "I… I won't take long though." she said, knowing he probably didn't want to stay long but Shunsui shook his head and he smiled at her.

"Take your time Nanao-chan. I brought you here so you could enjoy yourself and if that means getting lost in here for hours, then I'm more than happy to get lost with you." he told her, Nanao's eyes widening slightly before she smiled and even let out an excited giggle before instantly turning tail and rushing in head first to go look at what books waited to be found by her eagle eye. He just chuckled and followed behind her, tucking his hands into his pockets as he watched her getting excited. On the way in he grabbed a basket, knowing full well that they wouldn't be leaving without a pile of books so he would be prepared and carry around her selections like a good boy. He also figured he could secretly discover more about his Nanao-chan by which books she picked out. Nanao scoured the aisles and the many bookshelves, running her finger along every spine of every book to read the title, pulling out ones she seemed interested in to inspect the cover, read over the synopsis located on the back or inside flap of the book before deciding whether she wanted it or not. She climbed the ladders and Shunsui even moved the ladder for her so she could continuously look through the top shelves for books, occasionally dropping one down for him to place into the basket. She was diligent in her search, much like she was when she did her paperwork at the division. She was focused, quiet and all attention was on the books and their contents. She picked out adventure novels, romances, comedies, even books of poetry and dramas. She picked out works by Shakespeare, Homer and even got some history novels.

After spending several hours pillaging the first floor and the second floor, Nanao had accumulated several baskets of books that were all waiting at the front desk to be purchased. Her eyes were slightly wide and she had a heavy blush on her cheeks when she saw she had not one, not two but six baskets filled with books, "I…. didn't realize I'd gotten so many…" she said, starting to look through the baskets to take some out as if she were going to put some away. Shunsui smiled at her as he waved his hand, the other reaching out to put the books she took out back into the basket.

"It's no problem. We can have them delivered to Mr. Urahara's shop and we'll figure out a way to get them home." he said, walking to the desk to pull out his wallet, Nanao even more shocked as he pulled out cash.

"C-captain! You don't have to buy me all these books! I'm more than happy to pay!" she said, thinking that was going to be the plan in the first place but Shunsui wasn't having placed the money down on the counter before he glanced back at her and he winked.

"Come now lovely Nanao-chan~ You never let me spoil you. I can cover this. If you wanna pout about it then you can buy dinner this time~" he teased, Nanao actually considering it which made him laugh when he saw that expression on her face, "I'm kidding on that too Nanao. I'm taking you out, so I'm gonna pay." he said to her, then he turned his attention to the employee who was putting the books into boxes, "Also, I had ordered something a few days ago. It should be in. Here's the info." he said to him, the man taking the card to read it before he disappeared into the back, soon coming out with something wrapped in brown paper. Nanao looked at Shunsui who handed her the parcel, "I had to pull some strings, but I have a feeling this will be your favorite." he said, Nanao slowly unwrapping the parcel and when she saw the contents a hand went to her mouth and she gasped. It was in French, but she knew exactly what this was.

"Le fantôme de l'opéra….?" she murmured quietly, carefully opening the cover to look at the date and that's when her eyes really grew wide, "First edition…" she whispered, her fingers slowly sliding down along the page, "You found a first edition…?" she asked him, looking up at Shunsui who was just grinning proudly, "I… I don't even know what to say…" she said, hugging the book to her chest as if it were going to disappear on her.

He walked over to her and he kissed her forehead, getting her adorably flustered, "Just a thank you would suffice. Just seeing your reaction is perfect enough." he said, though he became quite shocked when she was suddenly throwing her arms around his shoulders in a hug.

"Thank you thank you thank you!" she squealed in delight, Shunsui chuckling as he hugged her back, then she pulled back to look at the book again, "First edition in the mother tongue… I didn't even think first editions still existed…" she murmured, opting to keep the book with her when the employee offered to put it with the others. Once the final purchases were made the books were sent to Urahara's and Nanao reluctantly left the book store with Shunsui who was very content and happy knowing how satisfied Nanao was. When they left, Nanao looked around, seeing that it was now night, "Wow… how long were we in there?" she asked him, Shunsui checking his watch.

"Close to four hours. And I planned for that. I wanted you to have full freedom in there. I knew there would be no way you could get through all those books in less than two hours." he teased, humming as they crossed the street, "Though I am pretty hungry now. Are you game for some sushi somewhere?" he asked, thinking something more simple for dinner would do this time.

She nodded and gave him a smile, still holding the book close to her chest, now one of her most prized possessions, "Thank you… I really loved that place…" she said, thinking for a moment before nodding, "Sushi sounds great. I actually know a place a few blocks down that way we can go to. They have amazing food." she suggested, Shunsui happily agreeing to it and together they made their way to the sushi bar. The walk was a rather nice one. Despite it being night, it was still rather warm and there was a nice breeze blowing past them. He could catch a hint of her perfume. It was light, a sweet scent that suited her. It internally made him happy that she wore perfume just for him. She'd never worn it at the office so he could definitely smell it on her now. After turning down a few blocks he saw the sign for sushi and figured that was the place she was talking about. Sure enough, she walked towards the door, reaching for it to open it but Shunsui beat her to it and opened it for her. She thanked him with a little smile and he bowed his head to her in a silent 'You're welcome" and then they were taken to a table and given two menus to look over. She nibbled on her lip as she looked at the choices, glancing up at Shunsui to see him looking at her with a smile, making her blush, "W-what?" she asked softly.

He shrugged his shoulders, "I just enjoy seeing you happy, relaxed. My only question is if you have enough shelving to house all those new books?" he asked, making her clear her throat shyly which only made him smile more, "I'd be happy to build you some if you need me too~" he offered her, making her look at him with a curious look.

"You can build shelves captain?" she asked him, her captain winking at her.

"I'm very good with my hands Nanao. They can do many, many things." he said, something about the way he said that making her get incredibly flustered as she turned red as a tomato, hiding behind her menu. The waitress came over and took their drink orders, Nanao ordering just a water and Shusui ordered one as well. He was in the mood for sake but he didn't want to displease Nanao so he would hold off for now and be a good boy, "All teasing aside, I really am good with my hands when it comes to building things." he said, Nanao believing that. He looked at the menu a few moments longer before deciding what he wanted and once Nanao knew as well they called the waitress back over and ordered their meals, "So~ What's your favorite color?" he asked randomly as they waited for their food, Nanao looking to him as she took a sip of her water.

"My favorite color? Um… I guess purple… Like an Iris." she answered him, Shunsui making a mental note of it, "What about yours? I'd assume pink considering you have a lot of pink things, like the lady's kimono you wear over your haori." she mused, Shunsui chuckling softly as he pushed his straw around in his glass with his finger.

"I like pink. It's not my favorite but it is a pretty color. I think I like green the most." he said, Nanao raising an eyebrow.

"Is that really your favorite color or are you saying that because it happens to be the color shirt I'm wearing?" she asked him, making him laugh softly.

"Perhaps both. I like a darker green but that is a very lovely color on you." he complimented, Nanao smiling faintly as her hands smoothed down her shirt a bit. They were soon interrupted by the waitress who had their plates of food, placing them down in front of them before she gave them a pair of chopsticks. They both thanked her and then their eyes went to their food. Nanao got her usual role with crab, cream cheese and cucumber while Shunsui got a more adventurous one with a type of fish, avocado and cucumber and was topped with what looked like crab and eel sauce, "Looks delicious~ I'm willing to share if you are." he said, offering a few pieces of his if she wanted to try it and she did the same.

"Sure. I'm interested in what yours tastes like." she said, taking one of his pieces to try, humming as all the different flavors mixed and she shrugged her shoulders, "It's definitely unique. I think I like mine much more but that's not bad." she said with a chuckle, Shunsui trying a piece of hers which tasted quite delicious actually. He kind of wanted to order another roll like hers for himself, and after getting halfway through his he did just that. He quickly realized one roll wasn't going to fill him up so he thought he'd go with the roll Nanao ordered as his second round of sushi. After getting their fill, despite Nanao's displeasure Shunsui took care of the bill and then the two set off for Urahara's shop so they could return the gigais they'd borrowed. She was quiet for a few moments, rubbing her arms with her hands. Now it was getting a little chillier and she'd forgotten to grab her cardigan on the way out. Nanao blinked when she felt something warm being draped over her shoulders and when she looked up she noticed Shunsui was putting his jacket over her shoulders and arms, warmth instantly covering her and making the chills go away, "Thank you…" she murmured shyly, pulling the jacket around her to keep the warmth sealed inside. Along with the warmth she could pick up his scent. It was a spicy musk that had a hint of sake and a hint of sweetness to it. Like cinnamon, "Thank you… for this entire evening… I… really loved the bookstore." she said, Shunsui smiling as he tucked his hands into his pockets, rounding the corner to the street that would eventually lead them back to Urahara's shop.

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. I had a lot of fun just watching you get so excited over books." he said, having enjoyed it a lot actually. seeing her in her element, watching her light up as she read each book title and ran her delicate fingers over each binding. Each book was different and unique to her and he enjoyed watching her inspect each and every one to see which met her standards for literature. How she flipped through the pages and lifted them to her nose to smell them, hearing the delighted little sighs that would follow each sniff. His Nanao-chan was certainly unique and that's what he loved most. He almost hated when they finally arrived back at Urahara's and she gave him his jacket back, going to change out of her gigai. Kisuke had taken care of her books and according to him some of her friends (including Rangiku) came to collect them and they were waiting for her at her home. Shunsui thanked him for his help and opened the Senkaimon when Nanao joined him back downstairs, the pair heading through the Dongai that led to the Sereitei, "I almost wish this evening wouldn't end." he commented softly as they strolled to Nanao's home where he could help her get her books inside and make sure she safely got inside as well.

"It was really fun… I could have stayed so much longer in that book store." she said, Shunsui giving her a smile as they walked up to her porch.

"Then we'll go back. Most definitely. Just tell me when and we can go." he told her, letting her unlock the doors and he carried the many boxes of books inside for her and then he headed back out, taking her hand to kiss the back of it like he did the last time, "Thank you for joining me again." he said quietly, Nanao swallowing lightly as he gazed at her with those soft eyes of his, slowly pulling her hand back.

"Thank you for the evening… And thank you for letting me borrow your jacket. I… guess I'll see you at work." she said and he gave a slight nod, his smile growing a little bit.

"Of course Nanao-chan. Sleep well tonight." he said before he flashed away, Nanao slowly closing the door behind her. She locked it and glanced to the many boxes of books, picking up the special copy he'd bought for her and it made her smile softly, her heart skipping a beat as she fan her fingers along the gold engraved letters of the title. It was definitely going to be hard to get some sleep that night.


Tada! There you have it~ Another chapter. I had a lot of fun writing this one, especially the book store scene. A friend suggested it to me and I was like AH PERFECT. So, this is what became of that idea! But I need more! I won't tell you what I have already. Then that would ruin the element of surprise wouldn't it? Anyways~ Please drop a review if you have the chance! I really appreciate feed back. Shunsui and Nanao are pretty much my OTP. I just love them together. :3 So! Let me know what you think and let me know i you have any ideas for future dates! The more ideas, the more chapters there will be~ :) Until then!

Byakuya'sGirl90210