"What are you smiling about?" his friend asked him.

"Just picturing Seichii again with that chunk of wood in his hair after Nanao-chan blasted him through that bench last night," Shunsui said grinning wider. "Also the look on his face after she swatted his kido down like it was an irritating bug."

"You do realize he's never going to forgive her for that loss of face," Jyuushiro pointed out.

Shunsui just shrugged. "He hasn't forgiven her for lighting his kimono on fire as a child, so really nothing changed. Besides he'd have to go through me to get to her, and he knows that."

"It was pretty great," Jyuushiro conceded sipping his tea.

"She looked great too," Shunsui sighed. "Wish Matsumoto had convinced her to wear that while she was still coming home with me every night. Oh well, now she's set a precedence it'll be easier to talk her into it the next time."

"You still think you can win her back?" Jyuushiro asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"It's either think that or throw her over my shoulder, run away, and live the rest of our lives in hiding from my family regardless of how she protests," he said. "I don't know that she'd appreciate the latter."

Jyuushiro snorted. "She'd probably turn that kido on you then. Even you'd have trouble fending off an actual blast from her. I was surprised at the strength and speed of that shield. To be honest, I didn't know she was quite that good, as I haven't seen her in a difficult field mission for years."

"And she was drunk," Shunsui pointed out.

"If she's that strong with kido, why hasn't she mastered her zanpaktou better?" Jyuushiro asked thoughtfully.

"Dunno," Shunsui replied laying back on the porch and stretching out in the sun. "She won't talk about it. Not even in the past year or so when she was getting more open with things. She did the one test to prove she'd mastered shikai to become a fukutaicho, and I've rarely ever seen it since. The few times she has used it was when she thought I was in imminent danger of getting killed."

"Didn't it just magnify her kido?" Jyuushiro asked.

"As far as I could tell, yes," he said simply. "I'm not sure why she's so adverse to using it. She used to shut me out for days if I brought it up in the past."

"And recently?" Jyuushiro asked.

"Recently she found more interesting ways to shut me up," Shunsui said smiling fondly.

"Don't want to know," Jyuushiro said rolling his eyes.

Shunsui sighed. "Think she's with Hisagi right now?"

"Obviously you don't or you'd be beating down her door," Jyuushiro answered.

"I don't really have the right to tell her no, if that's how she wants to get back at me," he said, shifting his hat down to guard his face from the glare of the sun.

"I doubt Nanao-san would sleep with someone just for the sole satisfaction of pissing you off," Jyuushiro said calmly. "She'd have to actually be interested. Pissing you off would just be a bonus at this point."

"He can't keep up with her," Shunsui muttered.

"Hisagi-san has proven himself very capable," Jyuushiro replied neutrally.

"He's a good loyal fighter and a smart fun boy," Shunsui agreed. "Doesn't mean he has half the will or wit to keep up with my Nanao-chan. She'll have him trailing her like a puppy before their third date."

"You follow her like a puppy," Jyuushiro said grinning.

"Yes, but I just do that to lull her into complacency, and then I do something naughty and shake up her whole world," Shunsui said with a twinkle in his eye. "She needs that. Keeps her young."

"Whatever you need to tell yourself," Jyuushiro said laughing. The laugh broke down to a rattling cough and Shunsui was sitting up in a flash. "It's fine," the man got out between two coughs as he held up a hand to ward his old friend off. The fit came to an end and he spat the phlegm and blood out of his mouth in the dirt of the garden.

Shunsui watched him critically as he recomposed himself and then said, "Getting worse?"

"No worse than usual," Jyuushiro said off-handedly. "It always gets a little worse when the seasons change. You know that."

"Mmm hmm," Shunsui said obviously not buying all of it. The two friends lapsed into a comfortable silence, and Shunsui contemplated the years they'd known each other. He'd been lucky that Jyuushiro had such a kind heart and had decided to take a chance on him despite detesting him. As a whole, Shunsui was not proud of the angry child he'd been. At the time, he'd felt trapped and alone and lashed out in the only way he knew how, by truly not giving a shit about anyone or anything. Life couldn't hurt you if you just didn't care.

Takahashi Omi had been his first real experience with death, well at least within his afterlife, and it had been his fault. He'd been cavalier and so convinced that nothing could ever touch him, because he was a Kyouraku and no matter what he did or how he protested his family would step in and make everything go away. They did it even when he didn't want them to, so what chance did he have? It didn't matter one way or another what he chose to do with his life because he'd always wind up in the same damn spot, exactly where his family wanted him to be. He'd had no control over his own existence so he'd certainly never seen any reason to be careful with it.

Ukitake Jyuushiro had turned out to be one of the first people he'd cared about in a very long time. His grandfather had been the other. In fact, his grandfather was the sole reason he hadn't run away or tried to kill himself while living in his family's home. But Jyuushiro had been the first person outside his grandfather to actually expect something more out of him than just coasting by, and not because he was a noble, but because they expected him to just be a decent human being. He'd been the first person to see him as anything other than Kyouraku Shunsui, second in line to one of the oldest noble families in the Seireitei. Jyuushiro had challenged and pushed him and expected him to take responsibility for his actions. Jyuushiro had also beaten the shit out of him during their first hand to hand combat session with little care of what his last name was.

For the first time in his life, Shunsui had felt proud of his own accomplishments regardless of whether they pleased his family or not. Their emotions increasingly lost all bearing on his life whatsoever. He did nothing to piss them off or to please them, he only did what pleased himself. If that happened to piss them off as well, then it was just an added bonus. Gradually it had felt like standing up straight for the first time and letting a two ton weight that had been crushing him roll right off his back.

It was due to that alone that compliments from Yama-jii had no longer felt like comments about how well he was living up to his family's expectations. "You both are progressing nicely," the old man had said, ending their session. "Ito-sensei has requested you both attend the regular class next week to help some of your fellow students with mastering their blades, so I'll see you again the week after."

The man had started to stride away, and Shunsui had called out after him, "Oy! Aren't you going to tell us to enjoy our weekend?"

"I've seen how you enjoy things, Kyouraku," he'd said over his shoulder while continuing to walk. "I shall never encourage any of that behavior."

"I think he's growing rather fond of me," Shunsui had joked, elbowing Jyuushiro in the side.

"You're an idiot," the boy had said tolerantly.

"You're family still coming this weekend?" Shunsui had asked as they both sat down to clean their blades.

"Just tonight for dinner," Jyuushiro had replied lightly. They'd formed a comfortable friendship over the past year since that unfortunate training exercise. "My mother said to invite you along."

"Yes!" Shunsui had cheered. "Your mother is a woman of grace, beauty, and intelligence."

"You just want free dinner," Jyuushiro had argued rolling his eyes.

"And the pleasure of hearing embarrassing stories about your childhood, yes," Shunsui had agreed happily. "I still can't believe you were afraid of spiders to the point that your younger sister had to kill it for you."

"I was six," Jyuushiro had defended. "Besides they don't scare me anymore."

"Uh huh," Shunsui had replied noncommittally.

"If I find any fake spiders in any of my things, I will hunt you down and shave your head," Jyuushiro said calmly.

"Who said anything about fake spiders?" Shunsui had asked grinning.

"If I find any real spiders in any of my things, I will hunt you down and kill you," Jyuushiro had added.

"You have absolutely no sense of humor," Shunsui had chastised.

As it was, Jyuushiro's oversized family had poured into their room right on time that night. His brothers had dived straight for Shunsui's ever present manga pile, which had secretly been restocked the day before when Jyuushrio had told him his family was coming. Shunsui adored Jyuushiro's family. They were everything the Kyouraku's weren't; warm, loving, supportive. He'd always played it off, but he'd practically wanted to beg to be included whenever they came.

"Shunsui-kun," Jyuushiro's little sister had pouted staying near his roommate's side.

"No hello hug, Yuki-chan-chan?" he'd asked looking sad.

"You're a bad guy if you're not wearing pink," Yuki had said matter-of-factly. The girl took great joy in her older brother's hulking friend walking around in a pink haori and wouldn't come near him without it, although she'd long ago realized he was nice regardless of what he was wearing.

"Silly of me to forget," he said with a laugh. "Look, Yuki-chan-chan, I got a new one. Should I wear the one with the flowers or with the bunnies?" He'd gone to a thrift store and found the most ridiculous pink garments he could buy.

"The bunnies!" she'd said gleefully.

"You don't have to do this," Jyuushiro had said, smiling and shaking his head.

"What are you talking about?" Shunsui had asked, whipping the atrocious thing around his shoulders. "I want to be a good guy, and don't you think it makes me look kind of dashing?"

"Up," Yuki had interrupted demandingly the second the pink cloth touched down on his shoulders.

"Whatever the princess wants," Shunsui had agreed laughing, bending down and helping her to climb up on his shoulders.

"You're going to make her a spoiled brat," his friend chastised.

"You're just jealous, Jyuu-nii," his sister had scolded before sticking out her tongue from her new height.

"Oh terribly," Jyuushiro had agreed with a laugh.

"Boys, I mean it, you can look at the manga later. We're all going to dinner," Jyuushiro's mother had said, desperately trying to corral her brood.

"Oy, you lot," Jyuushiro had said raising his voice. "Mom says were going. Put those away or I'll light them on fire and you can go home with nothing. Also maybe ask if you can really have them and thank Kyouraku-san before you behave like a bunch of barbarians!"

"Yare, Yare," Shunsui had said, taking a bounce step to make Yuki laugh. "Of course they can have them."

"Not the point," Jyuushrio had told him rolling his eyes. "Now, round up."

His younger siblings had formed into a more cohesive grumbling group and his mother had flitted around them herding them all out the door as Shunsui and Jyuushiro had followed. They'd never gone anywhere fancy, Jyuushiro's family wouldn't have been able to afford it for so many mouths, but Shunsui always enjoyed the food and the company. He'd actually tried to pay for it all several times, but Jyuushiro's mother had never allowed it except when it was someone's birthday or some other special occasion. That particular night had been one of many spent talking and teasing and laughing during the dinner, which had lagged as they finished dessert.

"So we'll come again in about two weeks," his mother had commented off-handedly.

"Mom," Jyuushiro had said sharply, and Shunsui had focused more on the conversation hearing the tone.

"What? You don't want to see us?" she'd asked innocently.

"You know that's the week of the class trip," he'd said sounding tired.

"Shiro-chan," his mother had started, "You know I don't think it's a good idea. With your health it's not good to be so far away from the 4th."

"I'm not going to drop dead on a one week trip to Apulia," Jyuushiro had complained vehemently.

"I don't think it's a good idea, and we can't afford it anyway," his mother had said placating. "You want us to be able to keep sending you to school right?"

"Yes," Jyuushiro had agreed, backing off miserably. Shunsui had seen it happen a few times before, although Jyuushiro had tried to keep it private. As much as his family was loving and supportive, his mother could also be smothering and dependent. With Jyuushiro's father having passed away a few years ago, Jyuushiro had become the rock of the family and his mother was terrified of losing him too.

"I can loan you the money," Shunsui'd said with a shrug, knowing it'd never be accepted if he just offered to pay for it. He'd just be sure to make a bet over something stupid with Jyuushiro later for the exact price and lose.

"There," Jyuushiro had said motioning towards him, and it was a sign of how desperate he'd been that he didn't even try to argue the money issue.

"Shiro-chan, it's out of the question," his mother had said getting more anxious and beginning to fidget with her youngest son's hair absently. "We can't risk it for your health. Who knows what healers are like in Apulia?"

"I'm sure they're just like healers here," Jyuushiro had argued. "It's not like its some backwater territory. It's a large city."

"Exactly," his mother had said tensely. "All that congestion and fast pace can't be good for you. If you want to go somewhere you should spend time out at our country estate."

"I've spent every vacation since I got sick at the country estate!" he'd contended. "I get sick occasionally, it doesn't mean I'm a total invalid."

"Of course not, dear," his mother had said. "Goodness, your little brother looks exhausted. We really should be getting home now." Jyuushiro's mother had never been comfortable with confrontations, unlike Shunsui's own mother, and avoided them at all costs. "Do think about the country estate if you're bored," she'd added as she hitched a child on each hip and started moving them towards the door.

"Mom, the manga," one of Jyuushiro's brother's had whined.

"I'll send it on," Shunsui'd put in with a grin. Jyuushiro's family had escaped quickly and the white haired boy had sighed dejectedly. "Shall we head back?" Shunsui'd asked.

"Whatever," his roommate had said getting up and leading the way.

Two weeks later their classmates had left for the school trip and they'd been left alone in the dorms and academy for the week off.

"You really didn't have to stay behind," Jyuushiro had said flatly the first day.

"Neither did you," Shunsui had pointed out bluntly.

"My mother," Jyuushiro had started to defend.

"Do you always do everything authority figures tell you to do?" Shunsui had asked, rolling his eyes and strumming on his shamisen.

"There are rules for a reason," Jyuushrio had replied.

"Would you have dropped dead if you went to Apulia?" he'd asked writing down a lyric on a piece of paper next to him.

"No," Jyuushiro had said fiercely.

"Then that particular rule has no reason except for a mother's fear," Shunsui had argued lightly. "Following rules blindly isn't an admirable quality no matter what you may think. If Yama-jii suddenly decided to have you kill an innocent and said it's a rule would you do it?"

"What a stupid hypothetical question. Why would Yamamoto Sensei ever order something like that?" Jyuushiro had asked glaring, and then had quickly returned to his former melancholy state. "Never mind, no matter what I can't go against her wishes."

"Then stop moping about it," Shunsui had said. "If you aren't going to change anything, then give up and be a good little boy forever."

"Says the boy that broke rules right and left," Jyuushiro had pointed out. "Saw where that got you."

"Both sides have their good and bad points," Shunsui had replied calmly. "I picked up your good points, are you going to ignore all of mine?"

"Name one," Jyuushiro had challenged.

"Being fun, enjoying life, being grateful for the here and now instead of constantly looking towards some forthcoming goal that will constantly evolve and always remain in some distant future," Shunsui had said flatly. "You're a good kid, with a good heart, but frankly my friend, you've got a stick up your ass."

"I do not," he'd said looking offended.

"Yama-jii, says jump you jump, a sensei says jump you jump, your mama say jump you jump. Seeing a pattern?" Shunsui had replied unruffled.

"Respecting the rules is not something to be ashamed of," Jyuushiro defended.

"Without questioning them and finding them valid it sure as hell is," Shunsui had argued.

"So what do you suggest I do?" Jyuushiro had asked, seeing some logic to Shunsui's reasoning, but at the same time just humoring him.

"Let's break some rules," Shunsui'd said finally, looking up at him and grinning.

"Like what?" Jyuushiro had asked trying to hide his own curiosity.

"I can think of a few," Shunsui had replied.

They'd spent the week setting up pranks around the empty academy and tearing up the Seireitei and the higher districts during the night. Shunsui had even managed to get his uptight friend fall down drunk one night, though they'd failed to complete some of the pranks they'd had planned the next day due to massive hangovers.

The week following, when everyone had returned to the school, had been chaos. Entire classrooms had had their furniture switched, all the test dummies had randomly started to avoid or reflect kido spells, alarms had gone off on random schedules, an entire rickshaw had been assembled inside a sensei's office, and classes hadn't even been able to be held the first day due to all the free roaming chickens that had somehow found their way into the building and refused to be caught.

They'd both been called into Yama-jii's offices at the end of the week.

"I expected as much from you," Yama-jii had said calmly staring Shunsui down. "But not from you, Ukitake-san."

Jyuushiro had looked sufficiently chastised, although that could have just been due to the fact that Shunsui'd funded celebration drinks the night before and neither of them had been enjoying the light or loud noises that particular morning.

"You've sent the entire school into a state of anarchy and wasted the entire staff's time chasing chickens," Yama-jii had continued.

"Why do you think it was us?" Shunsui had asked casually.

"Who else could it have been?"

"Someone who owns chickens?" Shunsui had suggested. "My family doesn't own chickens, how about yours Jyuu?"

"Not that I know of," his friend had replied subdued.

"Well there you have it, no access to chickens," Shunsui had added with a shrug.

"Kyouraku," Yama-jii had rumbled. "I've been more than pleased to see the positive impact Ukitake has had on you, but I'm less enthralled with the detrimental effect you've had on him."

"Sir? I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about," Shunsui had replied with a small smile. "Jyuushiro-kun and I have just been laying around all week, occasionally going out to the bars."

"I know it was you," the older man had said narrowing his eyes even further.

"Please can we see the proof?" Shunsui had argued delicately.

"This won't be tolerated, and you will be caught," Yama-jii had grumbled. "Now get out of my office."

"Yes, sir," Shunsui had said bowing smartly. Then he had grabbed his friend's shoulder and pulled him out of the office with him. They had made their way back to their room and once inside Jyuushiro had spoken again.

"Did we just get away with that?"

"Told you it'd be fine," Shunsui had said with a smile. "We broke a ton of rules, had a great time, did little to no harm to anyone involved, and got pretty much a week off from classes for a reward. Plus I got to hear Yama-jii say chasing chickens. Sometimes you just need to have a little fun."

"This headache isn't fun," Jyuushiro had whined.

"Just got to build up your tolerance," Shunsui had answered laughing. "Besides I didn't see you complaining when you were making out with that girl at the bar last night."

Jyuushiro had just thrown a pillow at him and laughed. They'd both been lost in their own thoughts for a few minutes before Jyuushiro had interrupted again.

"Shunsui?" he'd started.

"Yes?"

"Thanks for staying with me," the boy had finished lightly.

"Anytime," Shunsui had replied, and he had meant it.

"Shunsui?" the same voice asked, popping him out of his memories.

"Yes?"

"I think someone is knocking on your door," Jyuushiro said smiling at his friend's ability to zone out in any situation.

"Right, guess I should get that," Shunsui said pushing himself to his feet. He plodded towards the door and wasn't ashamed that he had heard the knocking. It was a hesitant little knock that barely reached his back porch. He slid the door open and looked down at the petite woman standing there anxiously.

"Kyouraku-dono," she said, instantly giving a polite bow.

"Kiyoko-san," Shunsui greeted with a sigh.

"I, uh, I made lunch, and your mother said I might bring it to you?" the girl finished as more of a question then a statement and held the bento boxes out in front of her like a shield.

"Well, my friend is over right now," Shunsui said trying to politely side step the offer. He felt sorry for the girl more than anything else. She was a sweet naïve thing, who had the circumstances been any different, he'd have felt it his duty to be kind to and try to get into the 4th or the 7th. As it was, he just felt vaguely nauseous when she was around, constantly looking at her and wondering what his drunk self had found desirable about her. She was everything he pitied, not tried to sleep with. Not that she wasn't beautiful, but the frightened timid way she carried herself was just so off putting.

Her blue eyes glanced up at him and he saw the tears clouding their corners. Shit, he thought, he really hated it when girls cried, and this one did it a lot. "I made quite a bit," she said softly. "I'm sure there would be enough for everyone if your friend would like to join, although I'm sure she probably wouldn't want to."

He sighed. Shunsui knew this wasn't easy for her either. It was obvious that, however impossible, the girl really did think she had feelings for him, and he didn't even make an attempt to hide the fact that he was in love with someone else and wanted nothing to do with her. "Oy, Jyuu, want some lunch?" he yelled out through the house, and tried not to grimace when she jumped at the volume of his yell.

"Not if you made it," his friend called back.

"Kiyoko-san made it," he shouted.

There was silence for a few moments in which Shunsui was sure his friend ran through a million different responses in his head. "Well in that case, how can I say no?" Jyuushiro asked entering the hallway. "But I can only stay for a little while longer. Things to attend to, you know."

Ah, so that was it, Shunsui thought, Jyuu would be kind enough to mediate the awkward start, but had no intention of buffering the whole situation. "Back to the porch then?" Shunsui offered, but recanted it when he saw the horror flicker across the girl's face. Of course, she would find the idea of eating while lounging around on the porch offensive, noble manner had been beaten into her since birth. He chastised himself internally for forgetting once again, and also knew she would never verbally presume to argue with his decisions either, due to the way she'd been raised. "Or perhaps the table."

She looked instantly more comfortable and moved about easily setting their places at the table correctly after he showed her where it was. Once everything was in place they all sat down, and an uncomfortable silence filled the air as they began to eat.

"This is really rather good," Jyuushiro complimented trying to break the unease.

"Yeah, really good," Shunsui offered half-heartedly. Really it was good, but not as good as Nanao's, and that thought just made him more depressed than ever. He wondered briefly if she'd made breakfast for Hisagi this morning.

"Shun, what'd the food do to you?" Jyuushiro asked breaking him out of his reverie. He realized he'd been stabbing at the sushi and put down his chop sticks for a moment. "Don't mind him Kiyoko-san, he's always like this when he hasn't had enough to drink in the morning," Jyuushiro joked.

"Would you like some sake? I could serve it if you want," the girl suggested earnestly. "Your mother told me you enjoyed your drink."

"I'm fine," he snapped, and then tried to soften his tone. "Jyuushiro was just teasing me."

"Ah, of course," she said, pausing halfway through standing up to resume her seat. Silence started again, and finally Jyuushiro cleared his throat.

"So, I uh have to go," Jyuushiro said standing up. "Thank you for the wonderful food, Kiyoko-san." She instantly stood and gave him a deep bow. "That's really unnecessary," he said kindly.

"Thank you for honoring me by eating it, Ukitake-dono," she said sincerely.

"Have a good day," he said uneasily, quickly leaving the premises. Kami how Shunsui envied him right then.

"Kiyoko-san," he said with a sigh. "We should talk."

"As you wish, Kyouraku-dono," she said, looking up at him hopefully.

"Look I don't know what you expect from me, but I think we should clear it up right now," Shunsui said tiredly.

"Of course," she said with a small sitting bow.

"I can't marry you," he said firmly. "I don't even know you. I'm in love with someone else, and I still don't even understand how this happened. I know your family has disowned you, and I'm sure my family is already plotting a wedding, but I can't. I don't love you. I'll support you and the baby and make sure you're safe, but that is all I can offer."

"This other woman," Kiyoko said demurely, "Nanao-san right? Is she going to marry you then?"

"I'm working on it," Shunsui said stiffly.

"Your mother said she'd barely speak to you," the girl offered shyly.

"She's pissed," Shunsui agreed. "She has the right to be, but I know my Nanao-chan. We love each other. I can get her to come around eventually."

"Are you so sure?" Kiyoko asked softly. "I know you don't love me, but I do love you. I've loved you since I first met you when we were children. I knew you were the one the second I saw you, and when I saw you again at that party my heart skipped a beat. A lot of arranged marriages begin without love and it grows over time. Could ours not be the same?"

"I love Nanao," he said simply.

"And when she moves on and falls in love with someone else?" Kiyoko asked looking down at her hands. "What good will it do?"

"I'm going to get her back," Shunsui said firmly. "She can't hate me forever, and I'm not going to be apart of one more family I despise."

The girl looked up in shock at the last sentence and then quietly burst into tears. "I'm sorry," she sobbed as she got to her feet. "I'll go now."

Shunsui cursed himself internally for not just being able to let a crying woman go. "Kiyoko-san," he said, placing a soft hand on her arm. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that to come out so harshly, but I don't even know you, and I don't feel any sort of attachment for the child you're carrying. Trust me, I feel like an ass simply for feeling like this, but I can't force myself to feel any other way. I don't remember you, I don't remember sleeping with you, and this all feels like some terrible nightmare I can't wake up from." The woman just started crying harder and apologized a few more times. "Come on, let me get you a tissue," he said, suddenly exhausted.

Once the girl had cried herself out, he served her some tea and they sat together in uncomfortable silence. "If you can't win her back, would you consider marrying me?" she asked quietly after a time.

"I don't know," he answered truthfully. "Wouldn't it bother you that you were just a fall back?"

"I can stand to be in second place if I get you and a healthy child," she said simply. "I'll love enough for the both of us."

"You should be first in someone's heart Kiyoko-san," he replied sternly. "You should demand it, and I can't offer you that."

"A wife is happy if her husband is taken care of and pleased with her work in the home and she can produce healthy long-lived offspring," she said earnestly. "She doesn't need to be loved. Doing her duty is good enough."

"Kami, I hate that noble crap they feed you," Shunsui said honestly. "Pretend to be happy despite everything being a pile of shit? Why? What good does that do?"

"What harm does it do?" the girl asked confused. "Everyone gets what they need. The husband's household is kept, he's given heirs, and the wife is protected and supported. What's so wrong with that? Love comes with time."

"I can't accept that," he said honestly.

"Even if you'll never be able to have what you really want?" she asked again. "I'm willing to wait as long as it takes."

"And if Nanao-san accepts me back," he said curiously. "Then what will you do?"

"Then I will do as a proper lady should and step out of the way," she said lightly. "I wouldn't mind being your concubine."

"I don't want a concubine," he said simply. "And Nanao would never accept it."

"Why not?" the girl asked perplexed. "She'd be the wife, and her children would be first in line to inherit. What would she mind if you needed one more woman to keep you happy? A wife should do everything in her power to keep her husband comfortable."

"Nanao-chan wasn't brought up with old-school noble ideals," he said with a sigh. "And regardless, I don't need another woman to keep me happy. I only need her."

"I will wait," the girl said patiently. "Me and the baby will wait."

Shunsui nodded sadly. There really wasn't much else to say, as the woman was obviously not going to be dissuaded. "You should head home before it gets dark," he said standing up again.

"Of course," she replied standing up and giving him a bow. "Your mother would worry otherwise."

"Kiyoko-san," he called as she reached the door. "Did my mother tell you about the baby?"

"The youngest of the youngest," she said proudly. "Yes, she told me. I will take good care of the baby and myself. I'm lighting incense in hopes that it will be a boy."

"Goodnight, Kiyoko-san," he said tiredly.

"I will visit again soon, if it wouldn't be too much of a bother," she said hopefully.

"Whatever," he said, not having the heart to tell the shy little thing to stay the hell away from him. She didn't get herself into this mess on her own. He watched her go, and sent his reiatsu seeking for Nanao's. Not to touch against hers, but merely to locate her. She was home, and he searched the surrounding area. He had to admit he was relieved not to find any trace of Hisagi. He was going to win her back if it killed him.

A/N: Sorry it's late. I'm still having serious inspiration/motivation problems :( Though not for lack of encouragement. You guys are the best as usual!

Anyway hopefully I will regain it over this long weekend. To all of you Americans, happy 4th of July! One of my favorite holidays purely because it mainly consists of family/friends, firworks, and food. Nothing at all wrong with that!

Please review!