He would pay a small fortune to have her family leave. No wonder she was so distressed every time she had to deal with them. They'd come home and Shunsui had helped them carry bags and had been accepting delivery after delivery after that. If nothing else the Ise women knew how to shop. In fact it was probably the only way Nanao resembled her mother at all. He'd made the mistake years ago of insisting on accompanying her to a living world trip. What had followed had been a six hour shopping marathon in which he'd made many friends with the other men sitting around in stores waiting for women. After that he'd never insisted on going with her again.

After several deliveries her sister had suddenly complained about feeling unwell and there had been a fuss made. Who knew pregnant women were quite so fragile? Then her father and brother-in-law had been talking non-stop about the boar races they'd watched earlier that day. He was tempted to marry Nanao just to give her a better family.

He'd finally escaped to the bedroom while Nanao assisted her mother and sister, and he supposed he could use this as yet another example of why he didn't get into serious relationships. Other people's families were hell. Without a blood relation it wasn't easy to forgive their faults. Even with a blood relation he didn't know how Nanao tolerated her family's company for long. He supposed it was all a matter of perspective and what you were raised with and used to, still it peeved him off to see Nanao's family treat her like she was the black sheep when, in his opinion, she was the most successful of them all. If he was ever going to settle down, Nanao-chan was definitely the kind of woman he'd look for. Her dull sister held no appeal.

A knock on his front door lured him out of the bedroom. The food must have finally arrived. They could eat and then settle in for the evening, which would mean no more family drama. It was the first time he was looking forward to a Monday in the office.

Dinner would be good though. He hadn't ordered from this place in a while and he couldn't remember why. They had excellent food. It wasn't until he had the door fully opened that he truly remembered. The restaurant owner had a very pretty daughter who occasionally ran deliveries for him. Shunsui had slept with her a few years back because she'd been attractive and clearly interested. She hadn't seemed like the type of girl to take it too seriously. Unfortunately she had been. After being stalked for a week or so he'd had to "break up" with her. If he remembered correctly he'd made up some fluff about having gotten out of a serious relationship and not being able to fall in love again so quickly. The greatest tragedy of the whole thing was he'd had to stop ordering the delicious food. How in the hell had he let this slip his mind? And what was the girl's name?

"Shunsui-kun," the girl trilled. "It's been a long time."

What the hell was her name? "So it has," he said with a forced smile.

"Any particular reason you decided to order tonight?" she asked inching closer to the open door.

"I have guests," he said quickly hoping that would squash any romantic notions she'd conjured up for his order.

She glanced over his shoulder into the house, but it didn't stop her from setting down the bags of food and leaning across the threshold to touch his arm. "I was real glad to hear from you, Shunsui-kun."

It didn't seem to matter that a man had taken his order and he certainly hadn't requested her for delivery. "Well, your dad makes some of the best food in the area."

She laughed lightly although he didn't think he'd said anything funny. "You should come by more often then. My dad's been teaching me. I could cook you up something nice once your guests leave." She put a hand on his exposed chest and moved forward with him when he took a step back. "Maybe later tonight?"

"Ah," he hedged still struggling to remember her name as he reached up to remove her hand. "They're from out of town and staying with me."

She crossed the threshold completely and pressed up against him more firmly, and he debated how to get her off without physically pushing her off. "Perhaps you could sneak out for a bit then? My apartment isn't that far away."

He laughed lightly and got a hold on her arms before stepping back so she couldn't follow. "As sweet an offer as that is, I really can't accept." There was no need to be rude. He'd just enjoy this food one last time and then go back to avoiding the restaurant and her.

"Another time then," she said with a seductive smile. "You know where I am."

"What's taking so long? Was it too much for the two of you to carry?"

Shunsui looked over to the living room's entryway only to see Hachiro walking up behind Nanao's father who was staring at him stonily. Shunsui dropped his hands from the woman's arms like he'd been burned, which probably only served to make him look even guiltier. He wondered how long the man had been standing there. From the look on his face it was certainly long enough.

"I didn't want to interrupt," Tadao said.

"Thank you for bringing the food. How much do I owe you?"

"It's on the house," the girl said flirtatiously.

"No, I can't possibly accept that." Shunsui pulled out his wallet and started pulling out money. The girl waved it off, but he simply pulled out more than the meal could possibly cost and shoved it in her resisting hands. "Thanks for the food."

"Anytime, Shunsui-kun." She reached to touch him again and he backed off quickly knocking a painting crooked on the wall. "Please stop by when your guests leave."

"Well, bye then, uh." He still couldn't remember her name. Kumi maybe? "Bye." He pulled the door shut the second he had her back over the threshold. He turned to find Tadao carrying bags into the kitchen and Hachiro holding one looking confused.

"Is Katsumi-chan feeling better?" Shunsui asked trying to turn the attention away from him.

Hachiro shrugged. "Her mother and Nanao-san are helping her. I'm sure we'll find out soon enough. It's a woman thing so I try not to get involved as I wouldn't be any help anyway." Hachiro seemed entirely unconcerned so it must not be anything too bad. "Do you mind me asking a question?"

"Sure."

"What changed between you and Nanao-san?"

"Huh?"

"It's just that when I first met Nanao-san she denied having any romantic feelings for you."

"Why did that even come up?" he asked curiously.

"Of course it came up. It's difficult to court a woman who spends that amount of unsupervised time with another man. Especially one with your reputation. I'm surprised she puts up with you having women on the side." Hachiro gave a subtle nod to the closed door. "She didn't seem like the type who would tolerate it. Did she get desperate after I ended it?"

Shunsui had to fight to keep his laugh in. Was this man so delusional that he honestly thought he was a better choice than Shunsui? Not that Shunsui would argue that he was good boyfriend or husband material, but at least he had something to offer a woman and he didn't lie about who he was. "You know, Nanao-chan was never clear on why you did end it."

"That's because she doesn't know why." Hachiro shrugged and looked quite proud of himself. "It was all a ploy."

"What do you mean?" Shunsui frowned and hoped he'd understood that wrong.

"I mean I was always going to marry her sister. The first time I saw Katsumi at the market with her family I knew she was perfect for me. It threw a wrench in the plan when I found out she had an older sister in the Gotei 13. I mean a soldier woman who spends all her time with military men might be ok for you, but no normal upstanding businessman was really going to tolerate that. I had a matchmaker set up a meeting though."

"Why date Nanao at all then?" Shunsui reeled his anger in quickly when he felt Nanao's reiatsu brush over his in concern.

"Well, she was the oldest daughter of course. I needed an in. I'd never have been allowed to pursue Katsumi with Nanao-san unmarried if I were a stranger. I won her mother over though while I was with Nanao, and once I knew she liked me well enough I ended it. Managed to bump into Katsumi at a market later and casually start meeting her. Their mother liked me well enough that when she found out she agreed to break with custom. Pretty clever, right? In fact, you probably owe me for driving Nanao-san into your arms."

He was going to break Hachiro's jaw.

"Is everything alright?" Nanao asked emerging from another room. Concern showed through in her eyes and Shunsui once again tried to subdue his emotions and contain the feelings that were leaking out through his reiatsu.

"It's fine." Shunsui picked up the last bag. Telling her would only hurt her further. His first impulse was to grab her and barricade them in their office until her family and this piece of garbage left town.

"Shunsui?" She stepped forward and touched his hand where it was fisted around the bag. He gentled his hold.

"How's Katsumi-chan?"

"She's fine," Nanao said frowning, but allowed him to change the topic. "She just got a bit ill from the carriage ride. Are we ready to eat?"

He nodded and started following Hachiro towards the dining room. He stopped outside the room once Haichro entered and blocked Nanao's way.

"Shunsui?" He moved the bag into a one armed hold and pulled her against him. "What happened? Your reiatsu-"

"Your Dad saw the delivery girl flirting with me aggressively so he hates me even more." If he said what he was really thinking, that Hachiro was one of the worst people he'd ever met and he'd met a lot of terrible people, it'd lead her to ask why. He supposed he knew other men who had done similar shady things to get a girl and he hadn't judged them as harshly, but those men had never done it to Nanao.

She snorted into his chest. "I told you you'd never win him over. You don't have to try so hard."

"He's the only family member you like."

"Exactly, so of course he can see through your games," she laughed. "How aggressive was she?"

"I'd forgotten why I don't order from this restaurant anymore. I slept with the owner's daughter once and it was a mistake."

"Oh, was this the restaurant stalker you picked up a few years ago? Miku-san if I remember correctly."

That was her name! "How did you know that?"

"Did you honestly think that girl accepted your silly little 'I just got out of a relationship' lie?" She peered up at him and laughed at the shock on his face. "The girl had started stalking you at the division and it was disrupting work. I had to have her removed from our office while you were out more than once. I got Rangiku-san to take a group of some of the hotter men from the Gotei 13 over to the restaurant. That dinner cost me more than I care to remember. Added to you avoiding her she shifted her attentions to someone in the 7th if I remember correctly. Guess that must have ended, and she's ready to try for you again."

He shuddered. "I'm never ordering from there again."

A knock on the front door interrupted them and Shunsui frowned. If Miku had come back he was going to shove Nanao up against the wall and kiss her senseless until the girl left. He'd probably get kido blasted for it, but at least it would send a clear message. Nanao pushed him away with a smirk that said she knew exactly what he was worried about. She headed towards the door and swung it open without hesitation.

Jyuushiro stood in his doorway holding a bottle of sake. "Shun-, oh. Nanao-san."

"Hello, Ukitake-Taicho, what are you doing here?"

"Oh I forgot about the, ahem, arrangement. I came for our Sunday dinner and drink. I'm sorry."

Shunsui lifted an eyebrow at his old friend. Bullshit Jyuu had forgotten. Everyone thought Jyuushiro was so honest and upfront, but that was crap. His friend had clearly just been curious and bored and decided to come over. Jyuu gave a slight shrug at his look and kept an innocent expression on his face.

"Who's at the door? I thought all our deliveries arrived." Nanao's mother came around the corner out of the dining room.

"Ah, Jyuushiro Ukitake, ma'am." His friend gave his most charming smile and her mother predictably melted.

"Yes, I've heard of your family. You have family estates in Ugendo, correct? You're friends with Nanao and Kyouraku-san?"

"Yes and yes," Jyuushiro said. "I've known Shunsui since we were boys and Nanao-san since she joined the 8th. I usually come over for dinner and a drink on Sunday's, but I forgot you all were visiting. I don't mean to intrude."

"Nonsense, there's plenty of food. You should join us." At least her mother was generous if she smelled another potential aristocratic contact.

"Well if it's not too much trouble?" His friend was the ultimate conman. A quick smile and people bent over backwards for him.

"Of course, come in, come in." Her mother motioned and headed back into the dining room.

"I really don't mean to be a bother," Jyuu said looking at Nanao.

She smiled and was clearly eating it up as well. Shunsui thought he should be offended she never offered him the same benefit of the doubt. "Please join us, Ukitake-Taicho. I'm sorry I seem to have pulled you into my lie too."

"It's my fault for forgetting. And Nanao-san, please call my Jyuushiro. It'd look odd to your family if you called me Taicho. We're all friends here."

"If you're going to stay at least put in a good word or two for me, eh old friend?"

"Do you need it?"

"My father isn't a fan. He thinks Shunsui is cheating on me."

"Oh, with who?"

"Basically anyone he can," Nanao said looping her arm through Jyuushiro's and starting to guide him to the dining room. "He also thinks Shunsui is quite fake. Nor was he impressed by Shunsui's limited knowledge of boar racing."

"Come on then, let's see if I can help my old friend out."

Shunsui groaned. Jyuushiro was as much of a troublemaker as he was. Jyuu was just better at not getting caught. He had little doubt that Jyuushiro planned more to have fun at his expense than help his case with Nanao's parents. All the same he followed his two friends into the dining room.

Two hours later found the three of them settled on Shunsui's porch enjoying some sake. He'd been correct in his assessment that Jyuushiro was going to torture him. Jyuu had spent dinner first talking to her father and Hachiro knowledgably about the boar races, which Jyuushiro had always kept up with since his brother-in-law owned a boar farm, then he'd switched to flattering the women and chatting about babies, before finally regaling her family with funny stories of Shunsui's less than stellar moments. Jyuu had completely sealed the deal on her father's favor when Nanao mentioned her father had helped her pick out the last bonsai tree she'd given to Jyuushiro for his birthday. The men had bonded over the art of bonsai and Shunsui knew Jyuu had firmly locked up all fatherly affection. Tadao wouldn't do anything but glare every time Shunsui said anything at all.

Overall he'd been relieved when Nanao's family had admitted to being worn out and headed to bed. Spending an evening with Nanao and Jyuushiro was one of his favorite activities when her family wasn't involved. He glanced over at Nanao who was laughing at Jyuushiro's joke and swaying slightly from the sake. She tipped dangerously to her right and he moved to intercept her allowing her to lean heavily into his side. Nanao grinned up at him and he smiled back.

"Alright, Nanao-chan?"

"Mmm-hmm." He wrapped an arm around her to steady her and she settled into it. Shunsui looked up from her to see Jyuushiro smiling over his cup at them. "I might have had enough."

"Nanao-chan is a light weight."

"Nanao-chan is tired." She yawned as if to prove her point. "You just had to stand around at a stupid boar race. I got dragged all over the 1st district. Besides the amount of self-restraint it took not to kido my mother into the next district used up my stores for a month."

"But I need those reserves so as not to get blasted every time you find me taking a nap," Shunsui complained.

"Sorry." She said, but didn't sound that apologetic. "But you can survive a kido blast. My mother would have died if only from the level of outrage it would have caused her." Nanao pulled away from him to sit up straight and stuck her nose in the air doing a terrible impression of her mother's voice. "Nanao, really, what sort of man is going to want a woman who solves her problems with violence? And such a display. It's unladylike to draw so much attention to ones self in public. I know you're very lenient with Kyouraku-san so as to keep him, but honestly even that won't make him stay if you're so harsh and unreasonable. You should definitely focus on getting pregnant. There are ways around contraceptives and it would definitely soften you. Maybe then you'd understand what I've been trying to tell you all these years. Motherhood would be good for you. Take the edge off. And it's about time you lock him down or you really will become an old spinster. He'll definitely leave if something doesn't change soon."

Shunsui had been smiling at the start of her impersonation, but the smile had turned brittle by the end. No wonder she'd needed that hollow fight and had been so unhappy when he got her home. Jyuushiro was frowning across from them, and Shunsui shook his head at him to ward off whatever he was going to say.

"I like my Nanao-chan just the way she is." He reached over and dragged her unresisting form back to his side. "I'd much rather a kido wielding soldier for a wife than your harpy of a mother. Besides you're soft enough as is." He slipped a hand down to cup her butt and she yelped and smacked him. Next thing he knew she was tackling him and he was trying to hold his sake cup aloft to keep from spilling while he laughed.

"You're a lecherous pervert." She'd ended up on top of him pinning him to the porch. Her hair looked dangerously close to falling out of her clip. He set the sake cup down and gave her a mock-serious stare.

"I could show you all your other soft places too if you don't believe me?" He said it with his most seductive growl and with a cheesy lift of his eyebrows. Nanao dissolved into laughter and collapsed on top of him giggling into his neck. He loved drunk, relaxed, and happy Nanao. He'd honestly been a bit sad when he'd thought he was going to miss his traditional Sunday evening alone with his friend, but having Nanao there didn't seem like an intrusion. If anything she added to the fun. He brought up an arm and hugged her to him sitting up so she was sprawled in his lap.

"Perhaps I should leave you two alone?" Jyuushiro asked innocently playing along. "Although if you want children, Nanao-san, my family has a much better birth record than Shun's. I'm willing to offer my services."

"Hey! My family's birth record is just fine. Two children is a perfectly acceptable number. Nanao-chan doesn't want eight children."

"I didn't say we had to shoot for eight. My parents were clearly insane," Jyuu said fondly. "But our fertility is a proven thing considering I also currently have thirteen nieces and nephews."

"Yeah, well I have four nieces and nephews and all from one brother, so there. I can impregnate a woman just fine, thank you very much."

"I don't know, Shun. You've slept with way more women than I have over the years and not even one accidental child." Jyuu sipped his sake with a smirk.

"That's because I haven't wanted one! I'm more careful than you think."

"Of course you are." Jyuu reached over and patted his knee patronizingly.

"That's it." Shunsui gathered a surprised Nanao in his arms and stood. "Let's go get you knocked up."

Nanao snorted and wiggled in his arms. "Put me down this instant."

"Nope, we're proving Jyuushiro wrong. We're going to have ten children just to outdo them."

"I am not having ten of your children. You're going to have to call back Miku-san."

Shunsui gave a shudder. "Absolutely not. We're going to have ten beautiful girls and they're all going to be badass kido masters and take the Gotei 13 by storm. Yama-jii will be delighted to have so many new recruits. Don't worry I'll give you twins so you only have to be pregnant five times." Both her and Jyuushiro were laughing by this point.

"Put me down, you idiot." He set her on her feet, but pouted at them both.

"How about nine and I'll give you triplets. That's only three times!"

"Clearly the sake has rattled your brain. I'm going to bed. You two talk nonsense on your own time."

"Aww, Nanao-chan, don't leave me here alone with this old fart."

"You're a year older than me," Jyuushiro cried offended.

"Goodnight, Jyuushiro-san."

"Goodnight, Nanao-san."

"Goodnight, Shunsui." She stood on her tiptoes and placed a quick chaste kiss on his cheek. "Thank you."

He smiled at her. "Goodnight, dear." She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I'll be in shortly."

"Don't rush. Should I leave a light on?"

"No, I can navigate just fine in the dark."

She nodded as she covered another yawn. Waving goodbye to them both she slipped inside the house. Shunsui settled back down near his sake and looked over to find his friend scrutinizing him.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Jyuu."

"I was just thinking I've never really spent time with you and a woman you were seeing." He held up a hand to stop Shunsui's protest. "I know the situation, but you know what I mean. You don't spend any time with women generally outside of wooing and bedding them or drinking with them, so its rare I actually meet a woman you're 'seeing'. I just thought it was nice is all, the three of us. You two complement each other."

"Well we've been friends and worked together for a long time. It's natural that we're comfortable with one another."

"Of course," his friend answered, but his eyes wandered to where Nanao had disappeared into the house and Shunsui got a bad feeling.

"Do not play matchmaker." Jyuu gave him an affronted look. "Remember when you tried to match Kaien-kun? It was a disaster. Not to mention that time you tried to help Shinji-san or that time you tried to meddle with Toshiro-san and Momo-chan."

"Hey, Kaien-kun met Miyako-chan on the way home from that terrible date!"

"Its only saving grace. You just leave Nanao and me alone. We're fine as we are."

"I was simply acknowledging that if you ever did change your mind and want a real relationship, Nanao-san would not be a bad option."

"Yeah, unfortunately she comes with her family." Shunsui made a face. He couldn't imagine being related to Nanao's mother and having Hachiro for a brother-in-law. Thinking of that man reminded him of what he'd said earlier and Shunsui got angry all over again.

"Did her mother really say those awful things to her? She seemed cloying, but not particularly nasty."

"She saves it all up for Nanao-chan apparently. Besides she'd never say something like that to someone with any status. Poor Nanao. I should have never let her go alone with them today."

"It at least makes more sense why she lied now. I honestly thought you were joking when you first told me. Also Hachiro-san was not at all who I would have pictured Nanao-chan falling for."

"Yeah, he's a right bastard." Shunsui clamped down on his reiatsu hard to keep from disturbing Nanao. Jyuushiro looked bewildered by the change in mood.

"Shun?"

"He was playing her. Told me he'd always been after Katsumi-san, but had gone after Nanao to get an in with her family since they wouldn't have originally let him court Katsumi without her older sister being married off. As for Nanao, I can't see her actually being that in love with him. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think she found him tolerable if passably interesting, definitely a notch above what her mother usually served up to her, and the love and approval of her mother did the rest. She'd have been miserable with a twat like him. If I could beat the shit out of him without pissing Nanao off I would."

"Want me to?" his friend asked darkly. Jyuu and Nanao weren't as close as he and Nanao were, but Jyuushiro respected Nanao and had spent a lot of time with her over the years either through work or through Shunsui.

"No, and get your reiatsu under control. You'll wake her."

"She's not as attuned to mine as she is to yours."

"All the same, I don't want to upset her further and I don't want her asking questions. She doesn't need to have one more terrible bit of news, and it wouldn't change anything if she did know except make it even harder for her to interact with him."

"I suppose. Still I think I'd want to know if my brother-in-law was that sort of asshole."

"Want to know the best part? The idiot actually thinks she's with me because she was desperate after he broke things off with her. He thinks I'm the rebound and that I pressured her into it with my position."

"Nanao-san doesn't strike me as a rebound type of girl."

"That's not the point. He actually believes that I'm second best to him! Which is just unequivocally not true." Jyuushiro fell silent and Shunsui narrowed his eyes at him. "Alright, what is it?"

"It's not that you're not better than him. You are, but from an outsiders perspective I could see what he's thinking."

"How?"

"He clearly thinks of Nanao as a woman from an old-fashioned well off family who's looking for a well-to-do husband. You're noble, but as far removed from them as you can make yourself. Beyond that everyone's heard rumors about you. You already said her family thinks you're cheating on her and she's just tolerating it to keep you. You also have a position of authority over her. I know you'd never use it that way, but if he or her family believes all that nonsense then I suppose she does look a bit desperate."

Shunsui huffed in disgust. "Some friend you are."

"Oh, don't get all bent out of shape. You know your reputation as well as anyone. If Nanao was my daughter I wouldn't want her dating you, and I certainly wouldn't want her living with you."

"Are you saying I'm not good enough for her?"

"Of course you are. Or you would be if you wanted to be. I'm just saying I can understand where their concerns stem from. What does it even matter? You're the one who wants everyone to think you're a frivolous flirt, and you're the one who decided you never wanted to deal with long term committed relationships. You should be pleased you've achieved exactly what you set out to achieve. Women know exactly what they're getting when they go after you."

"Relationships are bothersome," Shunsui defended, "They take too much time and energy and don't have enough rewards."

"Whatever you say."

Shunsui flinched. They didn't often talk about relationships and he should have wrapped this conversation up earlier. Jyuushiro, as opposed to Shunsui, would very much like to have a family. He'd decided that he couldn't with his illness and imposed his own self-isolation. Shunsui had often argued that it was nonsense, but nothing had been able to sway Jyuu. "It'll be you and me till we're old geezers," Shunsui said trying to lighten the mood. "We'll hang out together and fart in the hot springs and there will be no women to nag us."

Jyuushiro laughed. "I think we better convince Nanao-san to stay with us into our old age just to keep us civil."

"Fine, Nanao-chan can stay, but that's it. We'll need someone to fetch our vitamins after all."

"And on that ridiculous note I'm going home. I have to get up for work tomorrow, and you have a beautiful woman waiting for you in your bed."

Shunsui laughed at that. "Nanao-chan has already informed me I need a bigger bed and a body pillow to cuddle with."

"Ah, your cuddling problem. I don't miss waking up in your arms on away training missions during the academy. Although I did enjoy the time you cuddled up to the instructor in your sleep. I've never heard a man hit such a high pitch of screaming before or after in my life. I'm surprised you still have your eyebrows with Nanao-san in your bed."

"She's a bigger softie than she lets on. Besides I'm the one doing her a favor so she just shoves me off and grumbles. It's not my fault I curl up to anyone nearby and she's the one staying in my bed."

"Goodnight, Shunsui."

"I hope you had your fun."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Of course not," Shunsui said shaking his head. His friend was devious. "I hope your curiosity is satiated and you'll not cause trouble for us?"

"I was never going to cause trouble for Nanao-san."

"But for me?"

"Not my fault if her family thinks I'm better suited." Jyuushiro grinned at him as he walked him towards the door. "I really would make a better husband than you."

"Get out," Shunsui said throwing the door open as his friend put his shoes on. "And stay away from my Nanao-chan."

"What are you going to do when she's not yours anymore?"

"Nonsense, she'll always be mine."

"Until she's the next Hachiro's."

"She swore off marriage."

"But if she hadn't, she'd still need someone less flighty than you," Jyuushiro teased. "Go back to your delivery girls. Leave women like Nanao-san to men who deserve them."

"Shutting the door on you," Shunsui sing-songed as he did just that. He headed back towards the bedroom and opened the door quietly. He knew his friend was joking, but as he looked at the small form curled up in his bed he couldn't help but think she really did deserve the best. He'd meant every good thing he'd said about her earlier that night.

He grabbed a pair of pajama pants and slipped into the bathroom to brush his teeth. It was odd having someone else share his room. Not unpleasant exactly, but odd. He mainly had one-night stands. A few women who were up for it were repeats, but they didn't casually sleep in his bed. He'd never been worried about waking someone up or their comfort level. The women that came into his bed were there for one reason and it was not sleep. If they wanted to sleep they could go home.

Slipping out of the bathroom he crossed the room and felt his way to the side of the bed. He lifted the covers and crawled under, basking in the heat that Nanao had already generated. He wasn't going to lie, getting into a warm bed occupied by a lovely woman was a delicious experience. Nanao made a soft noise as the bed shifted underneath her and rolled over pressing soft angles up against his side. He should probably roll her away, but he let her settle against him. Honestly, having Nanao-chan live with him wasn't an imposition. It was just her family that drove him crazy. Her warm breath fanned out against his collarbone and he turned to kiss the crown of her head. No, Nanao-chan wasn't the problem. How Hachiro could look at her and just see an inconvenience he would never understand. He pushed the thought away to avoid getting angry all over again. This close his upset reiatsu would definitely wake her.

Nanao mumble something that sounded like 'stop slacking' in her sleep and he grinned. He hoped she was dreaming about him.

A/N: Another week of work ahead of me, sigh. At least I had some Nanao/Shunsui in the morning to get me through. I always enjoy a chapter where I get to work Jyuushiro in. Hope you all have lovely weeks!