Title: Welcome Glow
Author: Celeste
Universe: Bleach
Theme/Topic: Shuuhei chases Yumi this time?
Rating: PG
Character/Pairing/s: ShuuxYumi, Ikkaku, Renji, Hitsugaya, Kenpachi
Warnings/Spoilers: Whole Soul Society Arc, through around 212 for the Arrankar arc, some OOC and sap.
Word Count: 2,761
Time: Worked for it off and on for about 3 hours? --;; You know, between trying to come up with ideas for bleachexchange. No edits on this one because I'm lazy.-- ;;
Summary: Companion Piece to "Happy Glow"- Waiting.
Dedication: tokkitsu- her Shuumi stuff is HAWT. I love her for it.
A/N: Some angst was bound to happen, right? Oh woes to Shuu-chan. AND WOES TO ME. shakes fist at bleachexchange. Though I guess my tripping out over the fic I owe for that spurs me to work on oh… everything else. --;;
Disclaimer: Not mine, though I wish constantly.
Distribution: Just lemme know.

When he arrived at the eleventh division headquarters the following evening, bouquet in hand, Yumichika wasn't waiting for him.

What was waiting for him was an irate looking eleventh division captain.

"You here for Yumichika?" Zaraki asked, one eye looming unimpressed over Shuuhei's form.

"Ah, yessir. Is he busy?"

"Ain't here," Kenpachi sighed. "Makes me play messenger boy to his damn boy toys like I ain't got better shit to do." Grumbling to himself, Kenpachi dug a note out of his pocket, crumpling it a bit with his rough handling. "Told me to give this to you." He thrust it at Hisagi.

"Ah, thank you, sir," Hisagi responded politely, taking the note.

Zaraki stared at him.

He blinked back.

"Was there somethin' else, sir?"

The larger man grunted. "He's been actin' funny lately. You the reason for that?"

Shuuhei felt his cheeks turn a little pink. "Um… I don't…I wouldn't, that is to say…"

Zaraki snorted. "Yeah, looks like ya are." He sighed, grudgingly accepting Shuuhei's existence in his world. "Guess I can't just kill ya or anything then. What the hell's your name, boy?"

"Hisagi, sir."

"You got a real name?"

"Erm…Shuuhei?"

The captain scoffed. "Close enough, I s'pose. Alright then, Shuuhei. Um. Keep up the good work, I guess."

"Thank…you, sir?"

Zaraki grunted noncommittally and shuffled back inside the building. "Now get outta here."

"Yessir."

Shuuhei left the division feeling very confused, his spray of lilacs forgotten in his hand.

Purple ones, for the first emotions of love.

He waited until he found a place where he could sit down alone to open the note.

Shuuhei,

Ikkaku and I have been called away for an urgent mission in the human world. Details are sparse and we have to leave immediately. We don't know when we'll return.

I'm sorry.

-Yumichika

The vice-captain took a deep breath and leaned back against the tree behind him. He folded the note and tucked it into his pocket.

"Be safe," he murmured.

At first, it wasn't so bad. He learned the details of the mission as they became open to the public.

Staking out the Karakura area, the home vicinity of the ryoka. Investigating possible disturbances there by Aizen's forces.

Hisagi busied himself with cleaning up his own division and worked on ignoring the fact that the person he thought he was falling in love with might at any moment, be attacked by the man he'd devoted a good portion of his career and ideals to.

It kept him awake some nights, and when he didn't dream of Yumichika he dreamed of Kaname instead, woke up gasping for air and feeling vaguely nauseous, to the point of being unable to sleep again.

He worked hard in his division and talked to Kira in his spare time, because the news had disturbed the blonde as well. Shuuhei knew the other vice-captain understood, knew that Izuru feared for Renji's safety as much as he longed to know of Ichimaru.

Zaraki allowed him access into the missing third and fifth chairs' office so that he could replace the vase of flowers on Ayasekawa's desk.

A nice arrangement of white heather and wallflower. Protection. Fidelity in adversity.

Then, sometime later, Yumichika reported back.

He'd been with many other members of the gotei-13 on that night, when the alarms were raised and the news that Arrankar had been confirmed in Karakura. He'd rushed to the Research and Technology institute and bothered Akon into letting him listen in as the other scientists scrambled around trying to gather data on the power readings they were getting, as they prepared for the unthinkable possibility of lifting the limit.

Shuuhei felt his heart leap up into his throat when he heard Yumichika's voice, Ikkaku's cries in the background. Fear for both of them overwhelmed him for a moment, and Ayasekawa's clinical declaration of the odds only served to worsen the bad feeling in his stomach.

"Be safe," he murmured over and over again under his breath. The words were meant for everyone, though his friend and his… rapidly-becoming-more-than-friend especially.

He nearly passed out when all the red dots disappeared on Akon's screen.

"No casualties to report," Renji reported wearily as all of seireitei held its breath. "All units withdrawing."

The Research and Technology scientists worked through the night to compile and sort all the information they had received that night and a preliminary report was released over seireitei in the meantime.

The power readings on their new adversaries had been enormous and emergency training and information courses were immediately scraped together to better prepare units for the coming war.

Shuuhei exhausted himself with his division. Komamura-taichou's volunteered aid was much appreciated.

His mind had to be kept busy or he would torture himself with images of Ikkaku near death and Yumichika bruised and bloody.

The Karakura band had received instructions to remain for some period after the battles incase complications arose. No backup was sent however, due to stretched resources that an increased amount of Hollow and Menos activity on other fronts had created.

It seemed that the other side had been stirred into excited movement in lieu of Aizen's breakthroughs.

The gotei-13 still suffered the loss of three captains while the new Center 46 debated—seemingly without result-- as to what to do about that.

Shuuhei felt as though he should hate himself a little bit for, in the midst of all this chaos, wishing that he could be doing nothing other than looking at Ayasekawa over a dinner table, making a fool of himself by blabbering the first thing that came to his mind as he ate with the other man.

It was incredibly selfish in one way, but sometimes, it was the only thing that kept him working at all.

He wondered how the other man was faring.

Renji's making light of why there were so many shinigami present in Ichigo's school had served its purpose in keeping the locals from panicking overtly, though Yumichika thought that perhaps it had made them a little too relaxed about the issue at hand.

Kuchiki's and Ikkaku's injuries had been the worst of the bunch, but the pretty death god could tell that Kurosaki was angry at not having been "properly" briefed about the threat (ie that the Arrankar would attack non-shinigami targets based on their reiatsu readings).

But either way, the initial defeat of the attacking Arrankar was enough to ease some of the shinigami guardians' spirits the next day in class.

"Why so glum, Yumichika?" Renji asked as they ate lunch. "Ya barely got a scratch on ya last night."

The fifth seat sniffed. "Whereas you and Ikkaku are both rather hideous messes."

Renji grinned. "You must be losin' your edge or somethin', Yumi, that was hardly like the scathin' sorta rejoinders I remember," the redhead teased as he tried to figure out the goddamned box full of liquid Rukia had handed him earlier. "The hell does this thing work?"

Yumichika sighed and took it from Abarai, neatly pulling the straw from the back and puncturing the hole with the sharp end. He handed the box back to the vice-captain. "You however, have not changed at all," he drawled. "Your stupidity still shines as bright today as it did when we first met, Renji."

Renji laughed. "That's more like it."

Ikkaku waved at them both. "Lay offa him, Renji," the bald death god warned. "He's off his game on account of Hisagi."

"Senpai?" Renji asked, looking more attentive all of a sudden. "What, he your next target or somethin', Yumi?" the redhead questioned, looking at the fifth seat warily. "Thought you didn't go fer…"

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about," Yumichika sniffed snootily.

"No, no, no, he's in like with Shuuhei," Ikkaku clarified in his best friend's stead. Yumichika looked in mild annoyance at the bald death god.

Renji snorted juice. "What! Ow, that shit burns." He wiped at his nose with a napkin and winced. Turned to Yumichika. "Really?"

"I do like him," Ayasekawa responded, picking at his earth food and wondering what the purpose of putting noodles inside bread was. "He's nice."

"Yeah he is. But last I remember, you didn't go fer that," the sixth division death god pushed. "Next thing you're gonna tell me is that Zaraki-taichou stopped requirin' survival trainin' since I was in the eleventh."

"It's still required," Yumichika responded sweetly. "Though the cheating punishments have been refined since you left," he added. "You know, ever since taichou found out about your little restaurant fiasco. Choosing your own lobster from the tank does not constitute catching your own food, by the way."

Renji rolled his eyes. "Well, somethin's different. Ya never acted all sensitive to stuff like this before."

"Mmm hmmm," Ikkaku agreed around a mouthful of what he'd deemed the most amazing snack thing ever.

Yumichika was certain the idiot would die of improper nutrition if he continued to inhale cup noodle at the speed he was currently going.

"He's moody," Madarame continued once he'd swallowed. "Things was just gettin' hot'n heavy with Hisagi before we got called off."

Yumichika pouted. "He was going to kiss me," he corrected. "Honestly, this mission has absolutely horrible timing."

The other two men giggled like they were ten years old or something. "Aw, ya miss him. That's cute."

Yumichika rolled his eyes. "The way your maturity levels diminish when you're around one another are astounding."

The other two death gods high-fived and proceeded to steal the rest of the unresisting fifth-seat's convenience-store fare.

"Ah, Hitsugaya-taichou," Renji started. "Was wonderin' if I couldn't make a request of ya?"

The tenth division captain looked up from working on his written mission report. "What is it, Renji?"

The redhead sat down in the desk in front of the shorter boy. "Well, you know how we got those summons to um, start returnin' one at a time for a period to make our battle reports to the 46?"

"Of course I know about that."

"Well… news around is that Yumichika's been missin' someone important back home, ya know… and me'n Ikkaku was wonderin'… he ain't technically supposed to go 'til after you'n me'n Madarame, on account of us actually fightin'…"

The young captain arched an eyebrow. "You want him to go first?"

"If it's not too much trouble, sir."

The white-haired boy's brow frowned. "Personal desires shouldn't stand in the way of us giving our superiors information they sorely need, fukutaichou."

Renji looked thoughtful. "I uh, I understand that sir, but Yumichika witnessed the entire thing between Ikkaku and his opponent, and when ya think about it, between me, Ikkaku'n Ayasekawa… who's most likely to remember the important details and stuff?"

Toushirou sighed. "You and Ikkaku are violence-happy idiots," he conceded. "And Yumichika is about seven hundred times more observant."

"Well, there ya go."

"I'm still required to back first as mission leader, you realize."

"Ah yessir. But still, that's a coupla days faster'n he woulda had, right?"

Toushirou wrinkled his nose. "I don't understand why it's so important that he go back early." Pause. "Or why you and Madarame care so much."

Renji looked sheepish. "Just… kinda cute is all," he admitted. "Ain't ever seen Yumichika like this."

Histugaya supposed he had to concede that point. Yumichika hadn't once teasingly flirted with him during the course of the Karakura mission. The last time he'd spoken with the pretty shinigami, he'd gotten a cute wink and the promise that in fifty years' time the fifth chair would treat the then-grown captain to an unforgettable night given that he remained comparably handsome in the future.

"Someone waiting for him at home, is it?"

"Yessir."

Toushirou sighed. "Well it's not like he's doing all that much here anyway. I'll just take the idiot with me tomorrow."

Renji grinned. "Thank you, sir!"

Rumors all around seireitei had it that Hitsugaya-taichou would be returning this evening to make a formal report and speech regarding his experiences battling the Arrankar in the human world.

Shuuhei supposed that it was an indicator at least, of how long he would have to wait for the rest of the mission participants to return.

As ninth division representative he made his way to the front of the waiting crowd just as the dimensional gateway was beginning to appear, signaling the young captain's arrival.

The assembly to congratulate him on his defeat of the opponent wasn't exactly lavish given the crisis-status seireitei was currently at, but it was impressive enough to properly greet and thank a returning hero in a time of great adversity.

For the most part, Shuuhei just hoped to get in a word with the young captain about how the others were doing given the injuries they'd sustained in the fight.

So he wasn't expecting it when the door opened and Hitsugaya stepped through, Yumichika not far behind the small captain.

Upon their arrival, the gathered death gods applauded the homecoming of the two men.

Shuuhei stared.

He was never one to break rules, to ignore ceremony. He'd never been one to not follow proper procedures.

So it was weird when he broke from the line of division representatives—other captains, Kira, and Hinamori in this case—and stepped forward slowly.

Komamura, seeing the vice-captain's motion and surprised by it, moved to stop the smaller man, but was unrepentantly tripped and shouldered aside by Zaraki before he could make good on his attempt.

"Whoops," Kenpachi grinned challengingly. "My bad."

Once out of the crowd, Yumichika saw him immediately (he wasn't really looking for anything else). They locked gazes, the pretty death god greeting Hisagi with a luminous smile, one that made Shuuhei's heart beat faster-in-a-good-way for the first time since the other man had left. His steps unconsciously sped up.

Toushirou looked on with vague amusement as a stupidly smiling Hisagi brushed past him without so much as a salute or word of greeting. The last few feet were taken at a jog, and it was nary a second later when the vice-captain whooped and embraced Ayasekawa happily, picking the other man up off his feet.

Ayasekawa laughed as he was caught up in the welcoming embrace. "Hi."

Shuuhei grinned back and put Yumichika back on the ground. "Hi."

Hisagi Shuuhei had never been one to make a public spectacle of himself. He'd once believed it was shameless, that no self-respecting person—especially one who was supposed to be an example to the gathered masses-- would put himself in front of a crowd of strangers and act like a complete buffoon.

He'd never had cause to before.

"Everyone's staring," Yumichika murmured, looking sideways for a moment before his eyes flickered back to Shuuhei's.

"Let 'em," he replied, already too busy staring at someone himself.

Yumi beamed back. "Okay."

Impulsively, happily, Shuuhei cupped the other man's chin with his fingers and leaned forward to kiss him.

The applause renewed itself from the onlookers then, except this time, it was much louder and far more raucous, certainly unbefitting of the triumphant tenth division leader's return.

Hitsugaya didn't really mind. And those stuffed-shirted old men in charge could kiss his ass if they had any complaints about it.

When they pulled apart, Shuuhei favored the other death god with a lopsided smile, cheeks flushed as he leaned his forehead to Yumichika's. "Sorry," he murmured.

Yumichika uncurled his hand from the other death god's uniform, eyes closed. "Mmm… for what?"

"We didn't get to do the third date before I kissed you," Hisagi admitted. "And after I promised to show you all the formalities and everything."

Yumichika found himself laughing back, breathlessly. He kissed Shuuhei again, because he couldn't not. His heart was beating a million miles per second and they were close enough that the vice-captain could probably feel it.

"I think I'm going to have fun teaching you all the informalities over the next few days," Ayasekawa murmured when they pulled back, eyes full of promise.

Hisagi Shuuhei never took shortcuts before, because he believed that those were the sorts of things that made for a poor work ethic. He believed in following set procedures because they were outlined for a reason, because they worked.

He'd never kissed Yumichika before.

"Say, what're you doing for dinner?" he asked, stroking Ayasekawa's cheek with his thumb.

"No plans as of yet, fukutaichou. Though I have to go give a report to the Center 46 first." He pouted.

Shuuhei laughed and touched their noses together. "I'll pick you up after work."

Yumi sparkled back at him. "I'll wear something nice."

END