Hello all and welcome back to Coffee Flavored Kisses. I want to thank everyone that reviewed, favorited, and followed. It makes me so happy that you are enjoying and/or are intrigued by my story. I also want to thank my beta, KT. Please review and let me know what you think.

Chapter Two: And So We Wed

Days after being informed of his engagement Shunsui's quarters had been cleared up and deep cleaned. Nanao assisted in ensuring a woman's touch around the room. Cushions, bedding sets, tables, dressers, and other furniture was brought in. There was a captains meeting held detailing the upcoming union and demanding all attendance. Shunsui took the teasings in good character and went back to preparing his division. The day before the planned day of the Kurosaki clans arrival he was dragged away for a "stag night". His closest friends had all been in attendance along with their friends. Jushiro prevented him from drinking too much that night, having a hangover on his wedding day wouldn't be the best way to start a marriage.

Tuesday morning had rained. The sound of the rain could even be heard from Shunsui's bathroom. He took in his only moment of peace and stretched out in the tub and listened to the muted pitter-patter against the window pane and roof. Memories of his brother and his brother's wife, Nanao's mother and father, filtered through his mind. If they were alive they would be in attendance. His sister-in-law would likely be the one that would prepare his quarters for his wife. His brother might be telling him how he would change after he married. Just as Shuichi did. Would this marriage allow for him to change? To better himself? He didn't know. Perhaps knowing his bride would change that. Waiting had started to stress his patience. Only because it was waiting for the unknown.

"Captain," Nanao's muffled voice sounded from behind the door. "It's been an hour."

"I'll be right out. Thanks for letting me know." With a final rinse Shunsui stepped out of the tub and began drying himself off. His formal uniform was prepared for him. Included in the uniform was a pair of tabi socks. Socks he detested wearing, but he would for today. An hour later he made his way towards the banquet hall where the wedding would take place. The Kurosakis would be arriving soon and he wanted to ensure everything was ready.

"Shunsui," Jushiro had arrived with his third seats and was followed by Retsu Unohana and her lieutenant. The third seats and lieutenant gave polite bows and went to meet up with the other lower seats waiting outside.

"Jushiro, Retsu," Shunsui greeted and turned his attention away from the list of guests. "Thanks for coming."

"As if we could miss this. Are you ready?" Jushiro teased.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

"Is there anything we can do before the ceremony?" Retsu asked kindly.

"No, they'll be arriving soon. We should actually be making our way out to greet them."

"Captain Kyoraku," an excited aide called from the entrance. "Their rickshaw is near!"

"That's our cue," he nodded and made his way to Captain Yamamoto and the top chairs of Central Forty Six that waited for the rickshaw to get closer.

Men dressed in formal Quincy uniforms grew closer. Between the sets of men were three rickshaws. The first contained the Lady Kimiko Kurosaki and her granddaughter. The remaining rickshaws contained their belongings. Once the rickshaws came to a full stop the doors were opened and out stepped an elderly woman. She was about the same size as Jushiro's third seat Kiyone but was rounder. Her hair was a light red color with streaks of grey and pulled into a tight bun on the top of her crown. She had wrinkles decorating her face. Shunsui was happy to note that they were mostly around her eyes and mouth. This woman was fond of smiling and laughing.

"Welcome Lady Kurosaki," the first chair of Central Forty Six greeted the elderly lady. The lady gave a respectful nod.

"Thank you for this opportunity for this union." Lady Kurosaki responded.

"We are pleased with this union and have great hope for the future of our people. Allow me to introduce you to Shunsui Kyoraku, Captain of the Eighth division."

"My lady." Shunsui stepped forward and bowed. Lady Kurosaki nodded her head and gestured towards the rickshaw.

With the assistance of an aide a young woman stepped from the rickshaw. She wore a white kimono with light blue design work. The colors worn by a quincy. The obi holding the kimono together was solid blue, just a shade darker than the the design work on the kimono itself. A thinner obi tied in the middle and from it dangled a quincy's cross and a silver butterfly. A thick white veil covered her hair and her face. Decorative pins shaped like butterflies made from metal and blue beads held the veil in place. She wasn't as petite as Lieutenant Hinamori, but she wasn't as tall as Lieutenant Matsumoto either. "This is my granddaughter, Ichigo Kurosaki. She is my eldest granddaughter. The eldest daughter of my eldest daughter." The woman leaned into a graceful bow. Just as one would expect from the daughter raised by nobles.

"Greetings to the seated Central Forty Six and to the respected captains of the gotei thirteen,." Despite her veil her voice rang through. It was calm and collected. Dainty, yet a firmness was held with it.

There was another round of bows between Central Forty-Six and Shunsui to Ichigo Kurosaki. Shunsui contemplated her name. Ichigo meant strawberry, he wondered if she had a sweet demeanor to go along with the name. He noted to himself that he would ask her later what meaning her parents meant for her name.

"Shall we," Botan Enomoto smiled and gestured to the doors. With a nod from the elder Lady Kurosaki the large doors opened and all but the bride and groom entered the ceremony room. Shunsui looked at the young woman. Her head was turned towards the gardens and buildings surrounding the banquet hall. From where they stood they could take in a good majority of the Seireitei. At night one could make out all the lanterns guiding those that participated in night patrol.

Shunsui wondered if she was contemplating running when it took her more than a minute to turn and face him. But, Ichigo did turn back towards him and the open doors leading to the ceremony after she shook her head towards the city and the evening sun.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

"Yes," she responded. Her voice was full of resolve. "I am ready." With that she took two steps and closed the distance between them and they entered the hall together.

Ichigo, couldn't help but stare. He was a lot older than she was anticipating. Well, not a lot, just about ten years older. Her father's talk about how ages are treated differently in the Soul Society floated to the surface of her brain. Maybe she should think of it like she's been aging in human years and this man, this Shunsui Kyoraku, was aging in dog years, or something like that. He was also more flamboyant than she thought he would be. His hair was long and tied back with two flower pins in it. He also wore a woman's kimono, though his friend with the silver long hair took it off of him before the ceremony had started. He was taller than her by a good foot. She'd have to arch her neck to kiss him. If there was going to be kissing.

Oh crap, she hadn't been paying attention to her grandmother's lecture earlier on the ceremony. Was there supposed to be kissing? Should she be preparing for this? She took a quick glance at her grandmother. The matron of the Kurosaki clan watched the ceremony unimpressed. Ichigo wouldn't be getting any hints from her. So, she'd just have to go with the flow. It's just a kiss. No big deal. Turning her attention back to staring at his figure had her realize why this kiss will be different than her few previous kisses with a man. He had whiskers. Or was that called a mustache? Beard? Goatee? She'd just go with whiskers. His face was masculine, a bit rugged, kind of like her father's.

This man, this Shunsui Kyoraku, was to be her husband. She didn't like it. The atmosphere didn't make it any better either. Taking another quick glance at the people gathered she fought the urge to laugh. It was like a funeral was taking place. There were slight smiles here and there within the audience but most of them were all straight faced. The biggest smile was really from the weird looking guy with the facepaint and head ornament. She'd have to remember to stay away from that one. His smile didn't exactly say happy for the bride and groom.

The man officiating the wedding was going on another long speech of mutual respect in a marriage. Ichigo was tempted to put in that he'd already said that and to just get on with it already. She'd been anxious about this wedding for days now and wanted to just get this day over with so she could regroup.

"And now, the vows," the officiant, an old man that seemed to sway dangerously, declared.

Oh, so we are doing those, Ichigo thought to herself. Again, she tried to recall what her grandmother had been explaining on the journey there. The officiant pulled a long red ribbon from his robes and held it horizontally between his hands. Captain Kyoraku held his hand up in a way that was welcoming towards Ichigo. Oh no, was she supposed to take his hand? What if she wasn't supposed to take it? She would embarrass herself in front of the entire soul society and her family if she wasn't supposed to take it and held out her hand. But, if she didn't take it she would still embarrass herself if she was supposed to take it. Throwing caution at the wind Ichigo abruptly stuck her hand out and grasped his hand. Great, they were holding hands now, awkwardly, like a couple of idiots. It was like middle school all over again.

Shunsui had been watching her throughout the ceremony. While he couldn't see her expressions he had no doubt she was also watching him. She did take pauses to do quick glances towards the audience. The 'subtle' turns of her head weren't quite subtle with her veil. When it came time to perform the vows he had held his hand forward to take hers. She hesitated and Shunsui could sense the nervous energy coming from her. Quickly she struck her hand out and took his. It was so abrupt Shunsui nearly flinched out of surprise. Suppressing a chuckle as to not embarrass her or alert the audience of her mistake he gently brought his other hand forward and slid her hand further to clasp his wrist. Her hands were small, well, smaller than his. They were calloused too. An interesting feature on a noble woman.

Meanwhile Ichigo was mentally screaming how much of an idiot she was that this guy had to fix her hand placement like she was a child. She already was much younger than him. He must think she's an idiot. Everyone must think she's an idiot.

The red ribbon was tied around their wrists and Ichigo was forced to move closer to make the procedure more comfortable on her end. She could smell him then. He smelled of...well...man. It was musky, but, in a charming way. His hands were warm and calloused. The hands of a man, as her father would say.

"Do you, Captain Shunsui Kyoraku, take this woman to be your wife, to honor, respect, protect, and cherish in sickness and in health, through poverty and prosperity, until death do you part?" the officiant continued not knowing the mental analysis the couple were performing on one another.

"I do." Surprisingly it wasn't hard for Shunsui to vow himself to her as he took in her form and felt her pulse dance against his own.

"Do you, Lady Ichigo Kurosaki, take this man to be your husband, to honor, respect, protect, and cherish in sickness and in health, through poverty and prosperity, until death do you part?"

"I do." Ichigo almost found the words difficult to say, but she meant them.

"Who will witness their vows?"

"I, Captain Jushiro Ukitake, hereby witness their vows," Jushiro declared as he stood. Ichigo looked at the man and recognized him as the one that took the pink kimono from Shunsui Kyoraku just before the ceremony had started.

"I, Ryuken Ishida, godfather of Lady Ichigo, hereby witness their vows," Ryuken Ishida, her mother's oldest friend, stood. Ichigo felt her heart stutter. She didn't even know he had come with her grandmother. Had he walked the entire time? He wouldn't be pleased by that. Meanwhile Shunsui glanced at the man with silver hair and a stern face. He recalled that there were other quincy families that were loyal to the Kurosaki clan, but more importantly, he recognized the name. Shunsui, made a quick glance at Captain Kurotsuchi to ensure he was behaving himself. The man in question was still grinning, though the grin did seem to have grown.

"Do we recognize these witnesses?" the officiant asked.

"We recognize the witnesses," the audience, Shunsui, and even Ichigo answered. She had finally remembered a tiny detail of her grandmother's lesson.

"Then, by the power vested in me, may I announce to you, Captain Shunsui Kyoraku and Madam Ichigo Kyoraku," and with that the man gently put his hands on their shoulders and had them face the crowd. Their wrists still tied together. The audience erupted in applause. While those that sat in the chairs closest to the bride and groom were showing more respectful applause, those in the back were more exciting. Ichigo couldn't help herself and she grinned as she took in the bald soul reaper, the busty soul reaper, and the soul reaper with feathers decorating his eyebrows clapping and whistling. Once the applause had died down and the guests had started to file out of the ceremony room and towards the room Ichigo believed the reception would be held. Shunsui turned to her, and she to him. The officiant gently pinched the knot of the ribbon that held their wrists together. Slowly Shunsui gently pulled his wrist from the ribbon and Ichigo took her cue to do the same. The tied ribbon was gently placed into a box and set onto a table that was decorated with candles, flowers, and other ornaments. The room was empty now, save for the officiant, the bride, and the groom.

"If you'll wait just a few moments Captain Kyoraku we shall announce you both to the reception," the elderly man explained.

"Thank you, we'll be ready," Shunsui reached a hand out and rested it on Ichigo's back. Ichigo stiffened under his hand and turned her face to his to give him a wide eyed stare. He couldn't see it though because she still wore her veil. Shunsui turned his attention to her when the officiant left the room and gave a warm smile.

"Well now the hard part's over we should be able to enjoy ourselves for the rest of the night," he explained and started walking, his hand on her back guiding her to walk with him. Ichigo's breath hitched slightly. She was anticipating a forward man in terms of 'this is what needs to get done', not 'let me get in your personal space'. The rest of the night? What did he mean by that? Was he talking about that? Nope! Ichigo threw the thoughts from her head and slammed the door. She would not be thinking about that. She would mentally prepare herself for that when it came to it and not before.

Then what was he doing with his hand? Guiding her, or perhaps it was escorting her, with his palm against the small of her back. The man even snuck it behind her obis bow so that it was really against the small of her back. She could feel the warmth from his hand. Though she was surprised by his behavior she couldn't help but feel more like a woman. Her ex-boyfriend never walked with her like this. They held hands sometimes but that was it. This was strangely intimate, which made Ichigo blush more.

Shunsui gave a patient smile when he felt her stiffen under his hand. The reception would be loud and stressful and they would be separated from their families as they ate, exchanged greetings, and accepted gifts. He wanted her to feel safe and secure next to him and hoped that his hand guiding her expressed kindness and comfort.

They stopped in front of the doors leading to the reception and waited for them to be opened. Ichigo could hear all the chatter that was going on behind the doors and took a deep breath.

"It's so noisy," Ichigo observed.

"They're excited."

"Yeah. I guess it's just going to be a lot to deal with."
"It's a good thing you won't be doing it alone then. We can depend on each other now,"

While Ichigo took in his last remark the doors to the reception room opened and their full attention went to the guests applause.

END OF CHAPTER TWO: AND SO WE WED