A/N: WARNING: This chapter is slightly confusing. All will be made clear at the end. Shunsui does not appear in this chapter. . .neither does Matsumoto. . .(this is killing me!)

Oh and by the way, I do not own Bleach, because if I did, certain perpetual problems (aka people wasting away by themselves in corridors while significant others are off doing other things—coughICHIGOcough) would not be perpetual.

Chapter 2:

Un/Expected Discord and Distilled Magenta

Ise Nanao was as empty as a sake bottle that Kyōraku-taichō had gotten into.

Over the past few weeks, she had carefully tucked away all of her feelings and fears so that she could live without her captain.

It still hurt, of course, but she had gradually become numb.

At first everything she saw reminded her of Shunsui and she felt like daggers were repeatedly piercing her lungs. She was still reminded of him every moment of every day, but she steeled herself.

All that was left was a kind of empty ringing within her heart. She could never have satisfied Kyoraku Shunsui in that way. He would have lost interest, finding her plain, inexperienced, shy. . .

It was better this way.

This way he would heal fast, she would heal in time, and they could continue to be friends—she would help him occasionally if he needed her.

And he would ultimately be happy because she could heal Ukitake. She had had little choice in the matter of her transfer, and, truly, she was glad.

Or that was what she kept telling herself.

"So he told you, taichō?" she said emotionlessly, eyes downcast.

His hands closed around her arm. "Why, Nanao-chan? And why him?"

She shook her head to clear it of rising heat and unshed tears. "The general said so. And if it can help me heal Ukitkae-taichō. . .he needs me, taichō."

"I know, Nanao-chan, but I need you too!" he was becoming desperate, all his chances were slipping through his fingers and he wasn't ready; he had thought he had months, years even. . .

She turned away, glasses flashing in the sunlight too bright for this impossible moment, one that neither of them had ever really thought would come. "You'll be fine without me, taichō. Soon you'll replace me and you can just remember our friendship fondly."

She paused for a moment, but Shunsui was too confused and hurt to say anything. "I will return twice a week to help you until you find a replacement."

"You're already packed, then?" Shunsui said softly, regret and sorrow clearly evident in his tone.

"Of course my—"

"Nanao—"

"—last day is—"

"Nanao—"

"—tomorrow. Everything—"

"I cannot change your mind, than?" he asked, knowing she would not listen to anything else he could say. Everything he wanted to say. . .

"—is completely settled. There is no reason that this is not the most logical course."

"What about us, Nanao," Shunsui tried. "Is this what you want?"

She was walking away already, and even though his heart cracked a bit more with every step, he knew better than to try and stop her. "No, taichō," she said with assumed calm, stopping in his doorway but not turning back. "It is what you want, too."

Their goodbye had been formal and painful, probably for the both of them.

But Nanao whole heartedly believed that she was right about Shunsui, and that was why she was currently in Ukitkae Jūshirō's bedroom.

But everything hadn't quite gone according to plan, or maybe it had, according to his plans. . .

"Ise-fukutaichō?" Kiyone said gently. Nanao snapped back to reality, thinking, Blasted Shunsui, my mind can't concentrate like it used to. "It has turned to that magenta color now."

"Thank you, Kiyone-san," Nanao murmured, absently taking the vial from the hot water and swirling it. "You may stay if you'd like."

"Thank you, Ise-san," Kiyone bowed, smiling.

Nanao couldn't help but grin at her. Kiyone tried so very hard and was a sweet girl.

Ukitake was reading a book quietly on his bed, but he looked up when she sat down next to him. "Are you ready, Ukitake-taichō?" she asked him almost worriedly. She knew these sessions were a discomfort, and she hated inconveniencing him.

He smiled at her warmly. "I'm quite fine today, Nanao-san, thank you." His penetrating gaze pierced her, and she busied herself with the specialized kidō in her hands and began to apply it. "How are you today?"

"I'm," she cleared her throat hastily, "fine, sir."

"Hmm," Ukitake growled. "If I could just say—"

"How is your friend, Ukitake-taichō?" she asked softly, cutting off another useless rant but probably opening herself up to another, longer one. The question had come to her lips unbidden.

"How is—" Ukitake closed his eyes and rubbed at them tiredly. "Ise-san, I told you, he's worse than ever. It hasn't changed."

"Really," Nanao murmured, anger suddenly boiling up to fill the emptiness and she welcomed its warmth.

"You should go back—"

"I can't. You know that."

"Shunsui needs you. You know that."

"I told you, Ukitake-taichō, that Kyōraku-taichō can manage perfectly well without me."

"Well," Ukitake blew out an exasperated breath. "If you call next to no sleep, too much sake, and too much training perfectly well, then I guess you're right. . ."

Nanao was silent for a moment as she gently teased the last bits of her altered magenta kidō out of the jar. Training too much? That sounded like her.

The beginning had been alright, and she had thought that maybe her transfer would not be permanent at all. But then it got harder, as did her relationship with—"

"You know she was offered as your replacement," Ukitake told her. "He refused."

Nanao blinked. She knew who Ukitake was speaking of, where she was now, and why Shunsui had refused her. He, too, was hoping that her new placement was temporary.

She knew better now.

She finished up the healing and cracked a smile at Ukitake. "That's it for today, sir."

She got up and began to collect the few things she had brought with her.

"Ise-san?"

"Yes, sir?"

"If you ever need anything, please let me know."

She closed her eyes for a moment and hefted her book. "Thank you, sir. I have to go now."

He scrutinized her as she fumbled with a few vials. "How is everyone treating you?" he asked cautiously.

"Well," she murmured, closing her satchel firmly.

"Ise-san—" Kiyone began unhappily.

Gods, even this girl could tell. She said flatly, "I'm fine." Seeing the young third seat shrink back slightly, she managed another smile and said, "Really, Kiyone-san. I'm quite fine presently."

"But you—" she objected.

"Hush, Kiyone," Ukitake admonished gently. "Shunsui walks like all the weight of the worlds is upon his shoulders. He looks as though the light has completely gone from the Seireitei, and his eyes are dull and glassy. He goes through the motions of the day with a kind of fierce vigor, and yet it is clear that his mind is elsewhere.

"You are much the same, Ise Nanao."

"This must be true because it is what you say," she told him over her shoulder, her glasses and the light making her expression nearly unreadable. "But in your reasons I think you are mistaken. We—taichō and I—were never like that."

"I think that is precisely why the situation is like this," Ukitake said placidly, as if he did not know what the implications of this statement were.

Nanao was silent. She had nothing to say, her protests were useless and she had already realized some part of this, or that it might be true for her, at least.

"Ise-san," he said, suddenly urgent, "you don't have to do this—"

A memory stirred, Oh, the lights, they were so bright—what was she doing here? She belonged in cool darkness with Kyōraku-taichō by her side— "I think I am too far in, sir," she said, nearly biting her tongue for saying even that much.

"Are you sure? I—"

The fingers trailed oh so soft over her skin, while the nails left faint pink marks in their wake— "I am quite sure, Ukitake-taichō."

"Still, Ise-san, I am so sorry."

There was blood, she knew she was loosing blood, and then she was suddenly whole but feeling as though she had been dismembered, and then grafted together again; thoroughly violated— "In truth, I am too," she admitted in a small voice.

"I wish I could have changed this. . ." Ukitake muttered, and Nanao shifted slightly to see that his eyes were far away, but whether he was staring into the unimaginable past or an unattainable future, she did not know.

The bruise blossomed like a flower in the spring, and she knew that it had been as deliberate as the last, forcing her to work harder, or to drive her fear deeper— "It might have been worse," she said, shaking away her ghastly memories with an effort and drawing him back from that blissful reach of space she could not infiltrate, "he could have been angry with you as well."

Ukitake said nothing for a moment, but she knew he was not done so she did not leave. "You do not trust him, do you?" he said abruptly.

Her heart jumped and she quickly suppressed the irrational hope she felt because she knew who he was speaking of. "Of course not," she told him impassively.

"If you file a complaint, I will support you, you know. I can manage without you, and. . . so can he."

"Thank you, Ukitake-taichō," she said with only a slight tremble in her voice as she turned and began to walk out again, "but I highly doubt my captain will agree."

- - - - - - -

A/N: -GASP- Ukitake isn't her new captain?! What is the world coming to?! ;-D

I'll dedicate the next chapter to the first reviewer who can figure out Nanao's new captain!

P.S. Please excuse my infrequent use of the weird marks over letters that go with Japanese, I tried, really I did.

PLEASE REVIEW! Shunsui will paint everything in your room bright pink if you don't. . .