Chapter Fourteen:
Heather's POV
I messed with my hair to make it look perfect. It was hopeless! My hair had a mind of its own. To say I was nervous was a big exaggeration. I knew what he was like in the manga, but this was real! Who knows how this will go. I sighed and looked in the mirror. This was as good as I was going to get, unfortunately. I followed Shunsui's instructions to the dot but all I could see were the eighth division's gardens. This place was beautiful to say the least. It did not take me very long to find the captain setting plates on a blanket that was lying on the grass. Damn! He knew how to make an impression. He seemed to catch wind that I was there and turned his head then smiled brightly in my direction. "Heather, you made it!" Shunsui greeted me as he stood up. "Hi." I returned his greeting. My voice came out too softly for my own preference. Damn nerves! He smiled at me and invited, "Don't be shy, it's just me. Come on over and let's get to know each other." I followed his lead and sat down then looked over the selection of food he had prepared for us. I was not familiar with all of the dishes but they looked good and the setting couldn't have been better.
"This is really nice, Shunsui." I commented watching his face light up happily. "Thank you, Heather. I was hoping you would like it." Shunsui replied as he scooted close to me. "Sooo, what is half of this stuff?" I asked trying to shift his attention elsewhere. "These are a few dishes I thought that you would like that I made myself." he answered me not wanting to get into major detail. He was not up to anything deceptive; he just did not like the direction I was going. I had the feeling that his idea of romance right now was only physical. This was going to be a long date. "Wow! I never would have thought of you as the cooking type." I replied in surprise causing him to smile suavely at me. The captain stated, "I have a few tricks up my sleeve." There was no doubt in my mind that he did. He seems like an easy guy to talk to. Why not see how far this will go? "Something told me that you do." I replied with a light laugh in my voice.
"So what else do you know about me?" Shunsui asked playfully with an eyebrow raised. "Stalker stuff: birth date, height, weight, favorite food—stuff like that." I replied jokingly. "Oh? And what else besides that 'stalker stuff'?" the man questioned suggestively. Was it just me, or was it getting hot out here? I swallowed hard before I answered, "Well, from what I could see you are patient and friendly. Fairly outgoing but you have a sense of security about you. You tend to wear your heart on your sleeve to the few that you feel are important to you and hardly lose your cool unless your loved ones have been threatened." Shunsui seemed surprised at the thorough character analysis but looked as if he wanted a different answer. "Someone's done her homework, but I was hoping for more of an opinion. Thanks anyway." he stated with a light chuckle. I could have hit myself, what the Hell kind of response was that on a date?!
I felt my skin turn pink with embarrassment and I hid my face with my hand. "Sorry, that was stupid." I apologized. "Actually, it was very good." Shunsui complimented and continued seriously, "I'm glad you chose to stay with us. I think with that kind of information you can be too dangerous to the Seireitei to keep out of the Maggot's Nest." "Don't tell anyone." I pleaded with him, lifting my head to look at him properly. The last thing I needed was for people to think of me like I was more of a freak than I already was. "On the condition that I get to learn more about you." the captain agreed with a smile in place. "What do you want to know?" I asked in relief. "Let's start with the 'stalker stuff'." he replied then added, "Except for how much you weigh." This guy knew how to win favor points.
We talked for hours, every so often goofing off or eating. Shunsui tried to be cute with some of the dishes, like the strawberries for example. I was turned off by the fact that he was trying so hard so quickly. It was partially my own fault; I let him steal a few kisses from me. Mostly because I missed that kind of contact, some of the reason was that I was hoping that we would just 'click'. There was a little something but not enough to make me say, 'Yes! I want to stay with this guy!' He stood out to me as a really good person to be friends with and something told me that he would not be my kind of future-boyfriend material. We were lying on the blanket side by side and I could feel myself dozing off slightly. He was just too comfortable, I could not help it. I had suddenly felt a nudge on the side of my arm. I lifted my head to see who was there and was surprised. It was a little girl with short and black hair. Her blue eyes were shielded by her oval-shaped glasses.
Little Nanao Ise! She was absolutely adorable! I almost could not believe it. I sat up, completely aware of how bad this looked on my behalf. "Hi…Nanao, right?" I asked, just playing dumb. She looked startled about my correct assumption. "Y—Yes, I am Nanao Ise." she introduced herself with a light bow. This form of respect was getting on my nerves. Why bowing of all things? Oh, well, gotta' learn to get used to it. "I'm Heather. Pleased to meet you, kiddo'." I introduced myself, holding my hand out for her to shake. She seemed hesitant but had taken my hand and I gently shook it. "You mean that you're that woman that knows the future?" Nanao asked me curiously. I nodded, not really caring about the technicality anymore. The little girl inquired, "Why are you and Captain Kyōraku sleeping out here?" I took in a deep breath. She was innocent now and knowing her in the future, she would have assumed something more perverse. "We were on a picnic and I guess we lost track of time. Thanks, by the way, for waking me up." I explained. Who knows what kind of rumors would have come from this if someone else found us?
Nanao beamed happily, "Your welcome. I was actually hoping if Captain Kyōraku knew where Lieutenant Yadōmaru was?" Yadōmaru…who the Hell was—Lisa! I remembered as quickly as I had forgotten. I turned to Shunsui whom seemed to be fast asleep. Convenient. I grabbed hold of his shoulder and gently shook him. "Hm." the captain grumbled and asked casually, "Hey, Heather, what time is it?" Oh no, this definitely would not have worked out. "I don't know, but Nanao is here looking for Lisa." I answered his question, bringing Nanao into the conversation just in case things were going to get lewd. His usual smile faded and he sat up. "Hey there, Nanao. First of the month again, I take it?" he asked the little girl. She nodded innocently and bowed, "It's an honor that you remember me, Captain." He smiled in return. "It's a captain's job to know about his subordinates. Anyway, I don't exactly know where Lisa is right now." he stated, answering her unspoken question. "Maybe we can help you look for her?" I suggested.
Shunsui gave me a look that suggested he had other things planned but sighed. "You would do that for me?" Nanao asked happily. Shunsui's expression softened upon seeing her hopeful face. He replied, "Yeah, we will. Just let me put this stuff away." "Here, let me help." I offered and grabbed a couple of plates, putting them back into the basket. He finished by grabbing the blanket and threw it over his shoulder. Nanao was practically jumping with excitement. She grabbed my hand and pulled me alongside her. "Alright, alright. We're coming." I laughed and turned to Shunsui whom was trailing behind us. The little girl was strong for her age. I called, "Hey, Shunsui, do you know where Lisa might be?" He thought for a moment and answered, "Knowing her, she might still be in the office."
"Alright, let's go check it out then." I replied. It did not take long for us to make it to the main office. Nanao opened the door and looked around with anticipation when her face lit up. I peeked into the room and smiled as I pointed out the lieutenant's sleeping form on the couch. "Lieutenant Yadōmaru, are you alright?" Nanao questioned the sleeping woman and gently prodded her shoulder. Lisa jolted awake with a start and then relaxed upon seeing the girl. Shunsui and I looked to each other before I broke the silence, "Sooo, what do you want to do now?" He smiled at me and responded, "You want to pick up where we left off somewhere else?" I was shocked at the request and confused at the exact nature of his intentions. Did he just want to hang out, or did he have a different objective?
"Ummm…" I started, thinking through the scenario before continuing, "Let's get away from these two first, alright?" The captain nodded softly, as if understanding what I wanted to do. "Sure thing." he stated and led me away. We went outside the office and I looked around to find no one there. "I'm sorry; I'm really slow on taking in information. What exactly do you want to do?" I asked him wearily. "Well, I want to get to know you more. You seem like a very nice and interesting woman. Considering that we fell asleep, I feel that time went by too fast." Shunsui explained smoothly. I did not know whether or not to buy that answer. I smiled softly at him and looked to the sky. Pitch black, perfect. "It's getting late. I don't want to worry anyone." I mentioned. The man looked disappointed for a moment and then perked up when he said, "Then let me walk you home." I at least owed him that much.
Shunsui was a decent guy but I felt that something was a little off about him. I could still remember how casual he was when I woke him and it bothered me a little. "You can do that." I answered and smiled at him. We talked as we made our way to the manor and stopped just outside the gates. "What are you doing tomorrow?" the captain asked me suddenly and my mind hit a blank. "I don't know yet." I stated honestly. "Maybe you can meet me at the office tomorrow night?" he suggested hopefully and went on, "I was going to visit Jūshirō and maybe I can acquaint you two further. You hardly know anyone officially, so why not?" At least he was not trying to be fresh with me. I bit my lip, thinking through the pros and cons of seeing him again. "I'll keep you posted." I replied and hoped that answer would please him. Shunsui grinned at me before he leaned forward and pecked my lips. Now it just felt weird to me. How many other girls did he charm like this to make him so lax? I pulled away and gave him a strained smile, "G'night." The captain responded suavely before leaving, "Hopefully I'll see you tomorrow."