Author's note: I do not own Bleach or its characters. This is AU.

Ordinary Afternoons

"Welcome! How can I help you?" Shunsui beamed as a customer entered the store.

The woman smiled at him. "I'm looking for a nice white wine to go with a fish dinner I'm serving. Do you have any recommendations?"

He flirted with her as he helped her and managed to sell her another few bottles of wine. Once she was gone, two of his regulars came in. It was easy to pull their already made orders from the shelves and take their money. It was just another Thursday afternoon in Karakura. Nothing much would happen. Shunsui bit back a sigh.

This life of his was boring. Oh, there were some very nice things about living as he did, but knowing that there were things going on back home and he couldn't be there bothered him. He did his best to keep busy and keep from thinking about that. It would drive him crazy. And he had been able to gather some information that should be able help the Shinigami Knights. Shunsui had pieces of information, but he had no idea what how they worked together. Something was going on in Seireitei, and as far as he knew, they had not yet figured out what it was.

More customers came in, and he helped the find what they needed. He worried about his princess. It had been six years now. She was a young woman, not a little girl. At this point, they would be starting to groom Nanao for more serious duties, and the question of marriage would be brought up. It wouldn't be serious until she was eighteen, but they would be thinking about it. She could handle that. What he worried about was did she have any friends to support her? While Shunsui knew that she could handle the duties placed upon her, it never hurt to have a shoulder to lean on as well.

Evening fell, and he closed up the shop, heading up the stairs to his rooms. His maid had dinner waiting for him before she went home for the night, and Shunsui enjoyed the solitary meal. More often than not he would eat out with a number of the other merchants in town, but every once in a while he liked to eat on his own. It as a quiet life, and one that he would enjoy much more if he didn't have other responsibilities.

Shunsui sighed. His thoughts were stuck in a rut today. It shouldn't surprise him, he supposed. It was the anniversary of his first meeting with his princess. Stretching out on his futon, he reached for the two portraits of his Nanao-chan.

"I hope you're safe and happy, Nanao-chan. I know you can handle your duties, but I still worry about you." He sighed again. "Take care, princess. I'll be back as soon as I can."

Setting the pictures aside, Shunsui settled in for what would probably be a sleepless night.