A/N: Sorry, I know this has taken ages! Hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 4

"Nanao!"

Turning her head towards the voice, Nanao found herself engulfed in an enthusiastic hug. Rangiku Matsumoto had found her.

"I knew you'd be promoted!" Matsumoto said cheerfully, as she sat down to the right of Nanao, who was still catching her breath. "You're good at everything! Even the boss said so!"

"Ms. Matsumoto," said Nanao, straightening her glasses and her demeanor, both of which had been a little thrown off by the sheer energy of Matsumoto's greeting, "I assure you, I am not good at everything, although I am flattered that you think so. And I am only the acting Associate Director until –"

Matsumoto flapped a hand dismissively. "Yes, yes, until Shunsui can find someone else, is that what he told you? And who else do you know who can keep him in line?" She leaned back to wave at Shunsui across Nanao's back, eyes twinkling. He winked.

"Rangiku, I hope you are not trying to tell my little Nanao that I have deceived her. My heart and intentions are as pure as the driven snow."

Matsumoto only laughed as turned her attention back to Nanao. "But Nanao, you have to call me Rangiku! And don't worry; I'll take care of getting everything together to celebrate your promotion! We'll go out tonight and –"

An unfamiliar voice pre-empted Nanao's own attempt to interrupt.

"Who's going out? Why the hell wasn't I invited?"

"Because you're so freakin' irritating. Now get out of the doorway." said yet another voice.

Nanao turned toward the door of the conference room to see a young man with a cleanly shaven head pushing past a slightly taller man whose hair was – there really wasn't another word for it – crimson.

"So, where are we going?" continued the bald man, slinging himself into a chair farther down the table as the redhead found a seat across from Matsumoto.

"To celebrate Nanao's promotion!" said Matsumoto, grinning. "You can both come. In fact, all the associate directors should come, don't you think?" This last was directed towards the man with short, dark hair who was just sitting down at one end of the table, next to an absolute giant of a man.

"I suppose, if it's for Kyouraku's new AD." the dark-haired man replied.

"Geez, don't sound excited or anything." said the redhead lazily. "Hey, Kira, you up for drinks?" The last was directed at still another man, a blond, just entering the room, a few steps behind two others who were deep in their own conversation.

"Ooh, where?" asked a petite woman from she immediately behind that group. She looked even younger than Nanao. "Are we having a party? Is it only for associate directors?" She turned toward a woman who was already seated. "Isane, are you going?"

Nanao was very quickly getting lost in the multiple conversations and faces filling up the conference room. She knew the names of all the directors and associate directors, but she hadn't actually met very many of them, and Matsumoto's growing plans were making it even harder to concentrate on everyone coming in.

"Oh, Boss, you should come too!" Matsumoto was now saying, having turned her back to Nanao in order to speak to Hitsugaya Toshiro. "It'll be fun!"

"If you come in hung-over tomorrow I will give Ryuu the day off and you will do all his paperwork." he replied, not looking up from his blackberry.

"Boss, how can you be so cruel?"

"And then you will file it. Correctly."

"But Boss!" Matsumoto pouted. "You're being such a spoil-sport!"

Nanao decided to try to ignore her. There were now over twenty people in the room, easily filling up the long, polished wood table. She had never before had a reason to go to one of these monthly strategy meetings, which were only attended by the directors and associate directors of each department; it was turning out to be a little livelier than she'd expected. Noticing that she was stealing glances around the table, Shunsui leaned over.

"Well Nanao, trying to put names and faces together? Let me help."

Nanao glanced at him. He looked serious enough and she relaxed a little. "Yes," she said in an undertone, "it would be nice to know who was with which department."

"Well, the woman at that end of the table, the fierce, frightening one, is-"

Nanao, horrified and hoping that the woman hadn't heard (especially as she did seem rather intimidating), was spared the rest of what was sure to be a colorful introduction by the entrance of the executive director himself. The room quieted quickly, and Nanao sunk back into her seat, relieved.

The meeting was more calm than she'd expected, given how noisy it had been getting beforehand. Executive Director Yamamoto's presence was likely the reason for this, she decided, since she quickly discovered that he had a forceful, almost overwhelming, personality.

Not that he was loud, but his gravelly voice caused even the tall, scarred Director of Product Development and Testing to break off his irritated (and profane) dismissal of the Director of Research's update.

It was Yamamoto who insisted that the top staff of each department all meet together on a monthly basis, Shunsui explained, later that afternoon. It had also been the executive director's diea to include the associates in the meetings. "The old man says each department needs to be aware of all the others – which is why all the directors give written and oral updates."

"Well, I suppose it's nice to know where the progress updates I've been writing for the last six months have been going." said Nanao, dryly.

"Ah Nanao, your work is always appreciated! Last year I tried to give my reports in haiku, but the old man was not encouraging." He sighed dramatically. "The true artist is never appreciated."

"You only chose haiku because they're brief." Nanao responded tartly. "I wouldn't have appreciated them either."

"Nanao, how can a woman so lovely be so cruel?" Shunsui asked plaintively.

"You sound," said Nanao, "like Ms. Matsumoto."

"I told you to call me Rangiku, Nanao!" a voice called cheerfully from the doorway.

Nanao turned, startled.

"I knew you'd be changing offices, so I came to help!" The other woman's smile was wide and genuine. "Now c'mon, where's your new office?"

"Ms. Ma- Rangiku," began Nanao firmly, "that's very kind, but I am sure that you must have other work to do."

"Why my dear Nanao," said Shunsui, his voice rumbling with poorly hidden amusement, "if Director Hitsugaya can spare her, who are we to complain about being graced with Rangiku's beautiful presence?"

Both because of his amusement at her expense and his use of endearments in situations where she could not politely tell him off, Nanao glared at him – to no effect whatsoever.

"Well," Rangiku responded happily, "what Toshiro doesn't immediately realize certainly won't hurt him. Let's get to work!"

Rangiku and Shunsui both ignored Nanao's protests and started moving her things – and there really weren't too many – into the larger office that would now be hers. They finished forty-five minutes later, although Nanao could see it would take her another hour or so to rearrange her desk exactly as she liked it. She sighed and resigned herself.

"Ah, my little Nanao, don't look so glum! You're not too much farther away from me, and now we can have some sake to refresh ourselves!"

Nanao whipped around to protest, only to find Shunsui already leaning back in one of her office chairs, with Rangiku sitting on the armrest. He had produced a sake bottle from goodness only knew where, along with three small sake cups. "To my lovely Nanao!" he said, setting them on the small table next to him, and lifting the bottle.

"Matsumoto!"

Rangiku leapt up immediately, the guilt all over her face quickly replaced with a look of startled innocence as Toshiro Hitsugaya walked in through the open door.

"Oh, hey Boss, how did you fi- get here?"

"I walked, Matsumoto." he growled. "And I followed the trail of destruction and smitten male secretaries; it led me right to you."

"But Boss, I was just helping a friend in need, and I-"

"I don't think that Kyouraku needs help drinking sake, Matsumoto. Now get back to work." He nodded to Shunsui and Nanao, and sent a parting glare towards Matsumoto, before stalking out.

"Well, well," said Shunsui, "I think we may have to postpone this celebration, eh Rangiku?"

Matsumoto laughed. "Well, the Boss really might loose it if I don't do anything at all today. But some of the girls and I are meeting at 7 for dinner, and then we're all going out for drinks. Don't forget, Nanao!"

"Mats- Rangiku," sighed Nanao, "thank you, but I told you, I am not a party person."

"7 o'clock, Nanao. The little Greek restaurant on the corner of 16th and Lee." She paused, looking at the other woman seriously, just for a moment, raising her eyebrows. "Be there, alright? It's your party."

Nanao tried to turn down the invitation again, she really did. But Rangiku was looking at her seriously, and she was clearly determined for Nanao to say yes, and …

"Alright, fine."

Rangiku smiled then, a warm, happy smile, not the mischievous grin she'd worn earlier, and Nanao had a sudden, nerve-wracking realization: Rangiku was just like Shunsui. She was going to do whatever she wanted and Nanao would no more be able to stop her from arranging parties and popping into the office than she could make Shunsui call her Ms. Ise.

Shunsui did not come in till 10:30 the next morning. Nanao, who had been at her desk since 8:30, was sending off waves of disapproval so strong they were nearly tangible when he finally strolled in.

"Late night, Mr. Kyouraku?" Coming from someone else, the question might have been solicitous.

Shunsui merely raised an eyebrow and smiled. "My dear Nanao, it can't be that you've missed me? And didn't you have a late night yourself?"

"No," said Nanao acidly, "I did not. As the acting Assistant Director I thought it important to get to the office on time." She wasn't really trying to hint that Shunsui do the same; Nanao was fully aware of what an exercise in futility that would be. So she felt a twinge of guilt when Shunsui's face fell with an almost comical rapidity at her words. Perhaps she really was being too mean. But she hardened her heart. He had been ridiculously late – he should feel guilty for being so irresponsible and it would do him a world of good to-

"But Nanao, you mean you didn't go out with Rangiku? Lovely, lovely Nanao, how tragic!" Shunsui perched on the edge of her desk, rather looming over her, his shadow obscuring the report she had been trying to read.

"Of course I went!" Nanao said, exasperated. "I just didn't stay out till all hours of the morning!"

"And did you have fun?" he sounded hopeful, and genuinely interested. Nanao sighed a little. He wanted her to have had fun, and cared about how she and Rangiku's evening had gone. This was why it was so hard to stay mad at the man.

"Yes." she admitted, "I did." Shunsui beamed. The last shreds of the irritation which had been building up with each tick of the clock slid away, dissolved by his glowing exuberance.

Shunsui got off her desk, but immediately pulled another chair over and settled himself in it, still looking at her. Nanao couldn't ignore his unspoken invitation.

"All we did was go out." Shunsui continued smiling at her, one elbow propped on her desk, his chin in the palm of his hand. She sighed and continued. "Rangiku and several of the other associate directors and I went out for dinner and then we met up with a few others at a club she likes."

"And you had fun." Shunsui prompted.

Nanao sighed again. "Yes. I had fun." She wished it didn't feel like defeat, somehow, to admit it. "Rangiku is very … outgoing. The others were all very nice."

Shunsui's eyebrows rose. "Nice?"

She thought back to the previous evening. The bald man and the redhead – Ikkaku and Renji, she reminded herself – came to mind. "Well, interesting," she paused, "and loud," she finally qualified. "I was glad to have a chance to meet and talk with my colleagues."

A low chuckle drew her attention back to the man beside her. "What?" she asked, nettled.

"My dear, a little enthusiasm in unlikely to hurt you."

"It might." Nanao retorted and was immediately mortified by the sheer amount of immaturity in the statement she had just made. "And I really don't see how my choice of adjective matters. Or how I spent my evening, for that matter." she added, hoping to distract him her unimpressive comeback.

"Ah, but if you're not happy," said Shunsui, standing up and moving towards the door, "I can't enjoy myself, my heart." And he was gone, leaving Nanao gaping at the door.

Nanao picked up the phone on the second ring. "Ise Nanao speaking."

"Ah, Ms. Ise, it's Jyuushiro Ukitake."

"Mr. Ukitake, how good to hear from you. What may I help you with?"

"Actually, Ms. Ise, I wanted to apolgize."

"Apologize, Mr. Ukitake?"

"Yes, I'm afraid it's my fault that Shunsi was late this morning. My health is not always the best, and he insisted on taking me to the doctor when I became a little ill last night at dinner. I hope it wasn't too inconvenient."

"Please don't apologize, Mr. Ukitake, there was not problem at all. I hope you're feeling better today."

"Much better, thank you. And now I'll let you get back to you work."

Nanao hung up and stared at the phone. It simply wasn't fair. First he cared about how she was doing, then he called her "my heart," and then he acted selflessly. He should not be allowed to keep confusing her like this, Nanao thought, irritated with herself for jumping to conclusions and with Shunsui for being unexpected. What was she supposed to think now?

A/N: I couldn't resist putting in a fair amount of Matsumoto - she's so fun to write! I hope she's not too much ;) And poor Nanao, she keeps getting left in mental and emotional turmoil. I shall have to make it up to her somehow. Reviews/advice are much appreciated!