A/N: I apologize for the delay in updating but you can't say I didn't warn you. Since the last chapter was so short, I wrote an extra-long one to make up for it. I'm rather nervous about its reception, but I'm still very proud of it so I'm posting it as is. I hope you like it!
Tossed Aside
Chapter Six: Queen Nanao
This chapter is dedicated to my best friend Hime, because of the long wait she (almost) patiently endured.
Nanao cringed at the throbbing ache that ripped across her weary muscles as she adjusted herself in her seat. Glancing around to make sure that no one was watching her, she removed her glasses for a moment before rubbing her bleary, tired eyes. Wiping the lenses clean with the cloth she kept tucked in the waistband of her uniform; she winced as she rolled her injured shoulder slightly. Replacing her frames, Nanao took in the scene before her with a grim sort of amusement.
Only Kyōraku Taichō could turn such a simple event as my return to the division into a raucous, drunken affair, Nanao thought as she watched a petite new recruit stumble into the squad's fifth seat, spilling sake all down the front of his rumpled uniform. In a manner befitting her captain, the shinigami merely smiled at the girl, clapping her on the shoulder and leading her off to fetch some more of the horrid beverage.
Despite the fact that Nanao was dearly wishing that she could simply slip away to her quarters and sink into a deep slumber, she could not begrudge her division the chance to celebrate so soon after battle. Unlike some of the other squads, the Eighth Division had emerged unscathed, without the loss of a single member. Nanao's return only made this concept more official. Figuring that everyone would be too drunk to notice, Nanao settled more comfortably into the loveseat which had been named, "her throne" for the evening.
Upon their arrival at the Eighth Division that afternoon, her Taichō had bypassed the office completely in favor of the mess hall, stating that he could do nothing until he ate. Nanao soon realized that this was merely an excuse to make a dramatic entrance in front of the congregated shinigami during the lunch break.
Kicking open the double doors leading to the mess hall, he had strode in, carrying Nanao triumphantly in his arms while proclaiming her clean bill of health. A cheer had risen from the assembled squad and Shunsui, his mood brighter then ever had declared a party that night in the squad's common room.
After eating a small meal, Nanao had gone to her quarters in order to take a bath. She was aided by Matsumoto, who was already nursing her first sake of the day. Feeling warm and clean after her prolonged time in the soothing water, Nanao had drifted instantly into sleep only to be awoken what seemed like minutes later by the exuberant knocking of her Taichō on the door.
Before she even had time to say 'hello,' Nanao was once again swept off of her feet by her captain who carried her (protesting all the way) to the party. The common room was strewn with rose petals and sporting a large, colorful banner which read "Welcome Back Nanao Fukutaichō!"
Shunsui had deposited the slightly speechless Nanao on the loveseat she was currently occupying before turning to the rest of the gathered squad.
"As Taichō of the Eighth Division," he began, his voice dripping with his usual dramatic flair. "I declare this night a celebration of our successful efforts in battle and our lossless victory! Though all of you showed bravery, no one was more courageous than the lovely Nanao-chan who risked her life to save my own."
At this, their eyes had met and held for what had seemed like an age. There had been something strange in his gaze, almost like guilt.
"It is for this reason," he had continued dramatically, "I proclaim Nanao-chan the Queen of the Eighth Division for the Night!"
This statement had been met with a resounding cheer of approval from the squad members. Shunsui had gestured to Matsumoto, who never missed a party if she could help it. The buxom strawberry-blonde had hurried forward and quickly removed the clip which was holding Nanao's hair in place before crowning her with a wreath of fresh flowers.
Sake was soon passed around the room, and Nanao found herself holding a glass. Shunsui had declared it Nanao's duty as queen to open the party by taking the first sip of sake. Blushing furiously at all of the attention, Nanao quickly took a small sip, wanting nothing more than to allow the squad to focus on something else other than her. With a loud cry, the glasses were quickly emptied and bottles were being passed from hand to hand. It was not long before the musically gifted members of the squad had fetched their instruments and the room was filled with the pounding beat of drums and the lilting trill of pipes.
That had been almost three hours ago, and while Nanao enjoyed watching the antics of her squad members while listening to the well-played music, she was growing tired and sore. Never one for large social gatherings, she had attempted numerous times to get up quietly and slip away from the festivities but had been prevented each time by a different squad member. Nanao was slightly suspicious that they were all under orders from her Taichō to not allow her to leave the party.
"Are you enjoying yourself, Nanao-chan?" Shunsui said, taking a deep swig of sake as he came to sit next to her on the loveseat. It did not go unnoticed by Nanao that he was so close their thighs were touching. Frowning, she slid over a few inches in order keep a safer and more professional distance between them.
"Hai, Taichō," she said half-heartedly, reaching up to adjust her flower crown, which had tilted with her movement. She winced when her shoulder twinged painfully, eliciting a concerned glance from her captain.
"Are you alright, Nanao?" he asked, regarding her carefully over the rim of his bottle.
"I'm fine," she said firmly, sending her captain a look which dared him to contradict her.
"Really, Nanao-chan?" he replied undaunted. "You looked like you were wincing in pain a moment ago. Does your wound hurt; do you need some more reiatsu?"
"NO!" Nanao protested loudly, her face blushing scarlet as the memory of that night came all too readily into her mind's eye.
Shunsui chuckled at her reaction and touched a finger to her nose affectionately. "I wasn't suggesting I do it, my adorable Nanao," he said, though his tone implied he would not mind in the slightest if the task fell to him.
"The pain is not too severe, Taichō," she mumbled glancing across the room to avoid his gaze.
"Well then," he said holding out the bottle of sake. "You should at least drink some sake; it will dull the pain a little."
"Or," Nanao said, eyebrow raised. "You could just allow me to return to my quarters." Shunsui looked as if someone had given him an unpleasant shock.
"But Nanao-chan," he whined, scooting towards her on the sofa. "You have not even danced with me yet!"
Shunsui enveloped her smaller hand in his, placing the sake bottle firmly in her grasp. She shot him a look that was both disbelieving and apprehensive. He grinned the way he only did when he found her amusing, a smile which Nanao knew was reserved only for her and despite her better judgment, found incredibly sexy.
"I'm not asking you to get drunk Nanao," he assured, still grinning warmly. "I only want you to be able to dance with me without wincing."
Greatly disturbed by the effect the combination of that smile and his close proximity had on her, Nanao slowly lifted the bottle to her lips. She took a small sip, allowing the liquid to burn down her throat, assessing its bittersweet flavor and then secretly savoring it. She wondered if this is what her Taichō would taste like if she kissed him and she quickly drank another swallow in a vain attempt to banish the thought from her mind.
Nanao drank just enough to satisfy Shunsui before handing him back the bottle, which he took a large swig from before setting it on the table beside the loveseat and getting to his feet.
"Are you well enough to dance with me, Nanao-chan?" he asked holding out a hand. Nanao nodded curtly, knowing that if she refused he would worry and she could very well end up back in the infirmary. Placing her hand in his, she allowed him to lead her to where other couples were swaying to the smooth, lyrical melody of the musicians.
Shunsui pulled Nanao into his chest, cupping her waist with his large hand. Hesitantly, Nanao placed her own hand on his shoulder, subtly breathing in his familiar scent as they began to dance.
He smiled softly down at her as they revolved slowly to the heartbreaking swell the pipes. Their eyes met as the music reached a crescendo, and Nanao shivered slightly at the intent look in his dark eyes.
She wondered for the millionth time how long she would be able to fight against her emotions, all of which were crying out for her to just let her resolve crumble away and fling herself willingly into his outstretched arms. As he drew her further into his warmth, Nanao felt a small chip of her resistance flake off.
He leant down until his mouth was right next to her ear. "You look beautiful tonight, Nanao-chan." She shivered as his breath tickled the sensitive skin of her cheek.
"You tell me that every day, Taichō," she replied, struggling to keep her voice even and not quite succeeding.
"And I mean it everyday," he said resting his chin on the top of her head. "You just look especially beautiful tonight." Nanao swallowed hard, but for all her usual quick-thinking, could not generate a reply. They remained silent until the last chord of the song faded into silence. The spell broken, Nanao stepped back pulling her hand swiftly out of Shunsui's grasp.
"Taichō," she stammered, quickly retreating back toward the loveseat, where she picked up the abandoned sake bottle and downed a sizeable portion in the hopes of settling her singing nerves.
- - -
Nanao did not speak with her Taichō for the remainder of the party, though she entertained a great many well-wishers. At various times she could see him making his way around the room, always accompanied with a large bottle of sake. Nanao wondered just how much he had drunk. She considered attempting to escape again, but did not see the point in falling asleep only to have to get up once more in order to drag her drunken Taichō, and possibly her best friend to their quarters once the festivities had come to a close.
When the party did wind down, Nanao remained behind to make sure that all of her inebriated squad members made it back to their quarters safely. She was pleasantly surprised upon discovering that Matsumoto was at least sober enough to stumble her way home to the Tenth Division on her own, and left it to her Captain (who still had not so much as looked at her since their dance) to see her down the road.
Sighing, Nanao turned to the mess that was the common room and set about the neglected task of cleaning up. Fetching a box, she stacked the used silverware and plates inside so they could be carried to the kitchen for washing the next day. Finding a rag, she began to wipe the sticky, food-strewn surfaces of the tables. She froze when the motion of her hand was suddenly stilled as another, much larger hand fell on top of hers. Startled, she looked up to see her haori-clad Taichō gazing down at her.
"Taichō!" she exclaimed, flushing.
"Queens do not have to clean up after their own balls, Nanao-chan," he scolded gently, without removing his hand.
"Someone has to do it," she said, her gaze locked on their hands.
"Let someone else do it this once, Nanao," he replied, turning her hand in his own and extracting the rag from her grasp, tossing it carelessly onto the table. Nanao stiffened at the words. There was something in his voice that put her on edge. She wiped her suddenly sweaty palms on her uniform and took a step back, desperate to escape the tension-filled air of the room.
"Nanao," he rumbled, taking a step toward her. She took another step back only to find herself literally backed into a corner. "How much longer are we going to keep doing this?" Her eyes widened in alarm as he came to stand much too close for Nanao's liking.
"Doing what, Taichō?" she queried breathlessly, attempting to turn away and busy herself with something, anything.
"Don't play dumb, Nanao, it doesn't suit you," he responded, placing his arms on either side of her head, effectively caging herself between him and the wall.
He sighed, and he was so close that Nanao felt it rumble through her entire body. "I'm a patient man, Nanao-chan," he continued in a low voice. "But a century of waiting could wear down anybody's nerves."
She stared up at him with disbelief.
"Taichō, you're drunk," she stated desperately, searching for any excuse to explain away his behavior.
In response, he merely nudged her further against the wall with his knee. "Perhaps," he returned, "but that doesn't change the facts that you're so fond of Nanao."
"What are you talking about, Taichō?" she stammered, her hands coming to rest on his chest in effort to hold him at bay.
"The fact is, Nanao that some things in life are inevitable. Call it destiny; call it fate, whatever your intellectual heart desires. The two of us fall under that category." He reached up and brushed a lock of hair behind her ear.
"Kyōraku Taichō," she said softly, a note of fear in her voice. "You're waxing poetic again," she trembled when his hand ghosted over her cheek, barely touching her but making it feel as if her skin had erupted in electric shocks nonetheless.
"Another fact is that I haven't been able to stop thinking about that night," he continued. His voice was even deeper than usual and had a slightly husky quality to it. The room was so dark that she could barely make out his features, but she couldn't draw her gaze away from his glinting eyes.
"I've waited a long time for you, Nanao-chan but I never actually thought you might feel the same until the other night."
Shunsui's arm snaked around her waist; pulling her so tightly against him that she could feel every breath he took fill and exit his body, setting her own humming.
"It's late, Taichō," she stammered, her cobalt eyes fearful behind her glasses. "You've drunk to much alcohol. I think I must have drunk too much alcohol. We have an office full of paperwork to complete tomorrow," she continued rambling, her control fraying steadily as she continued to breathe in his scent. She was so close she could almost taste the sake on his breath.
"Oh, no, Nanao-chan," he said tightening his grip on her waist. She pressed her hands more strongly against his chest in a last defense against what she now knew was inescapable. "You're not running away from me again, not tonight."
She almost fainted when he gently lifted a hand that was pressing against his chest, raising it to his lips and kissing the tip of each finger lightly. Each caress sent a shot of heat straight to her stomach. Gently pulling her arm, he curled it around his neck until they were so close that her breasts were pressing against his chest, their hips flush against each other.
"What a work of art you are, Nanao Ise," Shunsui whispered softly, his gaze raking over her wide eyes and apprehensive features.
Smiling, he lowered his lips deftly over hers for the very first time.
The kiss was gentle, searching, as if he was afraid she would push him away but Nanao was already too far gone to form any kind of resistance. Warmth spread in a tingling rush to fill every vein in her body as their lips imitated what their reaitsus had done only nights before. Shunsui nibbled gently on her lower lip and Nanao's knees gave way. He merely pressed her closer against the wall, both hands falling to grasp her hips.
Every fiber of Nanao's being was singing in ecstasy. Unconsciously, she wrapped both arms more tightly around his neck, causing his haori to fall forgotten to the floor. When they broke apart for the want of oxygen, she didn't object at all as he removed her glasses, tossing them carelessly on top of the pile of silk before drawing her in once more.
Nanao let out a soft moan of pleasure when his tongue met hers in a slide of hot, wet velvet. Her senses filled with the taste of sake and something uniquely him. Her hands clawed desperately at his shirt, pulling it apart as the overwhelming need to feel skin took over.
Shunsui let out a growl of approval when her shaking hands made contact with his abdomen. He trailed feverish kisses down the column of her throat and she couldn't suppress another moan. They drew away slightly, their eyes meeting one another's, both dark with desire. In a practiced motion, Shunsui undid the tie which held her shirt closed, letting it fall to the floor. She arched up uncontrollably into his touch when his hands ran a blazing trail up her gauze-bandaged sides.
Nanao was drowning in need. Delirious and disoriented, she did not protest when his hand found the small knot which secured her bandages. He unwound them slowly, torturously keeping his eyes fastened on her clouded ones. She let out a strangled cry of frustration and tried to expedite the process, but he stopped her hands in his own.
Holding her wrists securely above her head in one hand, he continued to uncover her skin, inch by creamy inch. When the bandages finally floated to the floor, Shunsui bent and placed a silken kiss to her shoulder, where the skin was slightly puckered. She cried out at the contact of his lips on her burning flesh and struggled against his hold, needing to touch him, to hold onto him as her world crumbled around her. As if sensing this, he drew her against him, her arms wrapping around his waist, her bare torso fitting against his. Their lips met yet again, and Shunsui growled in approval when she wrapped one leg around his waist, instinctively trying to get as much contact between them as possible. She gasped against his lips as she felt the exact effect she had on him.
Nothing in her long lifetime had ever felt like this, not even the other night when the pure pleasure had been tempered by immense pain.
"Please," she sighed feverishly against his lips, begging for what she wasn't quite sure.
"What do you want, Nanao?" he asked, as her nails raked over his back.
"I don't know," she said on a strangled moan as his hand brushed her breast.
His actions stilled at her words and he stepped back, holding her at arms length. Her violet eyes shimmered with confusion tempered by immense need. It was look he had seen on other women before, when they had wanted him without truly knowing why. Back then it hadn't stopped him, but he found that this time, it wasn't enough. Not nearly.
"You really don't know do you, Nanao-chan?" he whispered hoarsely.
"Taichō, I…" Her voice cracked as reality crashed upon her once more.
She had just kissed her captain. She was partway undressed, and clinging to a man she swore she would never engage in anything other with friendship with. But her heart was screaming in frustration and suppressed need. A part of her was already contemplating what would be the worst ramification if she just went ahead and gave herself to him. She could end up like all of the other women who had found themselves in his arms. Made to feel loved, wanted, and then tossed aside when he had had his fill of them. Right now, with her body aching with desire she'd bottled up for over the better half of a century, that didn't sound too bad.
Shunsui stroked her cheek, drinking in the sight of her flushed and panting as if it were the last time he would ever see her that way. Gently, he unwrapped her leg from around his waist and folded the front of her uniform so it covered her once more.
"Yare, sweet Nanao-chan," he said retrieving her glasses and replacing them on the bridge of her nose so she could see his eyes. "You might want to figure it out." He leant his forehead against hers, "If you find that the answer is this," he pressed his lips once more to hers, slowly, like a dying man in the desert savoring the last drink of water he will have for a while. "You know where to find me."
With that, he replaced his haori squarely around his shoulders. And with a look unlike any other Nanao had ever seen in his sweetly sad eyes, he swept out of the door and retreated into the night.
Trembling, Nanao closed the folds of her shirt over, tucking it neatly in once more and securing it with the abandoned sash. Straightening her glasses, she set about the task of cleaning what was left of the room with her usual cold precision. When everything was in its place, she stepped into the warm night air.
She took no time to gaze at the star strewn sky as she made her way quickly back to her quarters. It wasn't until she had closed and locked the door behind her that the enormity of the situation sunk in.
What do you want, Nanao?
With his voice echoing over and over in her head, Nanao sank down to the floor and finally allowed herself to cry.
A/N: Well, there it is. Review or this time or I'll tell Orihime that you'd love to eat an entire three-course dinner made especially by her. Oh, what now?