Nanao entered the 4th only to feel panic well up in her all over again as she was greeted by the sight of Unohana's back and Shunsui and Jyuushiro looking rather pissed while trying to advance on the door. Kiyoko was cowering in a chair in the corner and Shunsui's mother was yelling at the top of her voice along with the rest of them.
"What the hell are you doing out of bed?" Nanao yelled, cutting through them all to get to the most pressing problem. Jyuushiro looked pale and like he was going to drop on his feet. She turned her glare on Shunsui. "And why the hell aren't you forcing him back into it?"
The entire group turned to look at her and there was almost a collective blink, which would have been funny if she weren't so worn out and upset
"We were coming to save you," Jyuushiro finally supplied.
"As you can see, fully not in need of saving," Nanao said with a sigh.
"What happened?" Shunsui demanded. "We just felt your and Kenpachi's reiatsus explode and we could only assume you got attacked by a high level hollow or that he was about to massacre you."
"Hey!" she shouted. "He did not massacre me. I even made him bleed."
"Great," Shunsui said sarcastically. "We can all feel better that you look like a busted up pulp because at least you got in a hit too. Shit." Then he turned his back on her and got one of Jyuushiro's arms over his shoulder as their adrenaline started to fade.
"I can make it back to bed," Jyuushiro said weakly losing his argument the second a cough ripped out of him.
"Yeah, you're one hundred percent healthy and can dance all night, and Nanao can fight off all the squads of the Gotei 13 with one hand tied behind her back," Shunsui said rolling his eyes as he further supported his friend. "You shouldn't have tried to come in the first place. Where was I when everyone was losing their damn minds?"
"Shun," Jyuushiro started.
"Back to bed. Now. And you," Unohana said turning on Nanao. "Sit in that chair and don't get into any more trouble until I get back."
Nanao winced at the tone in the healer's voice and took the seat indicated. She was not in the mood for anymore Taicho level fighting tonight. Sighing, she leaned her aching head back gently against the wall and tried to remind herself of all the reasons falling asleep right now would be a very bad idea.
"Nanao-san," a soft voice said after what seemed like only a few seconds and she opened her eyes again to see Shunsui's mother staring down at her.
"Kyouraku-dono," Nanao greeted listlessly. "You need something?"
"I think you ought to stay awake," Hana said with a sigh. "I'm sure they'll send a healer soon enough. Which one is Kenpachi?"
"Taicho of the 11th," Nanao supplied sitting up and trying not to move her head too much. Any sudden movements made her feel like she was going to throw up.
"I don't know him," Hana said as she scrutinized Nanao's wounds. Kiyoko took a seat a bit further down from them and bit her lip nervously. She looked a little pale as she glanced at Nanao's injured hand, and Nanao wondered briefly if the sight of blood made the girl feel faint. She really didn't know why Shunsui was fighting this so hard. Kiyoko really was everything he wanted in a woman. Well lacking a little bit of attitude, but other than that a nice safe, soft, pretty damsel in distress.
"Yeah, you wouldn't," Nanao said refocusing. "He doesn't exactly run in the same social circles as you and Kuchiki Taicho."
"Speaking of," his mother started and Nanao saw the interested glitter in her eyes that was always a bad sign. "I hear you're dating him. A really excellent choice honestly."
"I'm not dating Kuchiki-san," Nanao defended half-heartedly.
"Well you should definitely think about it dear. You two would make lovely babies," Hana commented thoughtfully. "I mean if you are ever going to have babies, and if not I'm sure you'd make excellent, er, co-workers. Really great penmanship and such."
"Why do you care?" Nanao asked wishing she'd just go away so she could go to sleep.
"Contrary to what you may think, Ise-san," Hana said, "I am actually rather fond of you. It wouldn't do to have you unhappy. I don't really understand this roughing up stage your going through, but if beating up boys is what makes you happy then far be it for me to complain. You really should try to do it more discreetly though, I though Shun was going to have an aneurism for a minute, and he's much too young for that. Perhaps you could warn him ahead of time when you're going to get into a fistfight? Just an, oh, by the way I plan on getting into a terrific bloody fight tonight and you needn't worry?"
"I'll work on that," Nanao said as a wave of nausea hit her. She really had to stop taking blows to the head.
"Are you going to throw up dear?" Hana asked.
Nanao bolted to her feet, which made her head swim even more, and tried to focus on finding a trash can or something of the sort. Almost tripping over her own feet she made it to the other side of the room and the waste bin before falling to her knees and completely losing the contents of her stomach.
A cool touch swept her hair away from her face and out of the line of fire. She leaned her head tiredly against the side of the bin when she was done feeling even more exhausted than before. Glancing up, she caught Shunsui's concerned face hovering above her. He pressed some of the strands that his hand had originally missed away from her sweaty forehead and accepted the towel his mother had managed to procure.
"Come on, Nanao-chan," he said softly, wiping her face clean and then gently scooping her up off the ground. "Let's get you in a bed. Retsu-san said she'd be there shortly. Mom, do you mind finding some water for her?"
Nanao bucked in his hold once, feeling nausea threaten her once again and not particularly wanting to puke all over him, but managed to fend it off. She didn't fight him after that, perfectly content to be taken care of at this point. All the adrenaline from the fight was gone and she just felt like she'd been hit by a car, which she could classify as she'd done it once on accident when she was in a gigai in the living world when cars had first gotten really common. She just hadn't thought to be on the lookout for it at the time.
"I don't care if you throw up on me," Shunsui said moving carefully so as not to jostle her. "Kami knows how many times I've almost done it to you when I was drunk."
"You're not a big puker actually," Nanao comforted, knowing he was trying to keep her talking and awake. "You pass out more than puke. You're too lazy even to throw up."
He chuckled and while the slight vibration made her feel even a bit sicker it was also comforting and familiar in its own way. "You really got a hit in?"
"Uh-huh," she said, wrapping her fingers in the silk of a fresh pink haori he must have retrieved at some point today. She figured a concussion was enough of an excuse to be a little more touchy feely than she otherwise should be. "Singed his eyebrows and blasted him into a wall. Gave his head a good crack too. Just not as bad as his backhand."
"He backhanded you?" Shunsui asked and she could hear the fury in his tone.
"To be fair I cracked him over the head with an empty glass bottle first," she said honestly.
"What possessed you?"
"He said something I couldn't stand for," she answered and gave him a look that clearly said that was all he was getting out of her. "How's Jyuushiro? He shouldn't be out of bed yet, you know."
"Well that was all your fault," Shunsui said kicking a door open further. "We felt the reiatsus and both just reacted. I tried to get him to stay, but he refused and frankly it didn't seem like we had time to argue so I just tried to leave, but then Retsu-san and my mother got involved and you pretty much saw the fall out."
"He'll be ok?"
"Yeah, if Retsu-san doesn't poison him for not listening to her."
"Good," Nanao said as he put her down smoothly on the bed. Her headache was raging to a new high and she tried to ignore it. "I'm getting better you know. Not even a few months ago I would have never gotten a hit in."
"I know," Shunsui said grudgingly. "I just wish you didn't have to."
"Why don't you like her?"
"Who?"
"Kiyoko," Nanao clarified licking her dry lips and trying to gather her sluggish thoughts.
"I don't even know her," Shunsui said with a shrug.
"She's what you want though. All pretty, pliable, and helpless."
"I never wanted you helpless," Shunsui growled in frustration. "I just wanted you safe."
"Did I not turn out the way you pictured when I was a child? Didn't you want me to be a princess?"
"What? Nanao, I didn't even really ever think about it. You were just a kid who was hurting who I wanted to keep safe. It's not like I was trying to mold you into something specific. Whenever I saw you all I knew was that my first goal was to make you smile," he said. "That never changed."
"I hope you can make me smile again someday," she said feeling loopy. "You don't right now. Hisagi makes me smile sometimes, but not like you used to."
"Water," his mother announced, but Nanao was already half asleep.
"Nanao-chan," a man whispered moving to prop her up. It was Shunsui, she thought dully. It had to be Shunsui there. He always came when she felt this bad. He sounded sad. She wanted to hug him, but she was afraid she might throw up on him.
"Huh?" she asked trying to focus, but everything was hazy.
"You've got to stay awake. Drink some water," he offered and she felt the cup at her lips, but couldn't bring herself to do anything about it.
"Shunsui," she whispered. She wanted to tell him not to worry. He sounded tired.
"Come on Nanao, you've got to stay awake," he repeated. "Mom, get Retsu. Now."
"I don't feel so good," she said.
"I know, but you have to stay awake."
"Remember when you asked me what I wanted for my birthday and I wouldn't tell you?"
"That happened a lot," he said trying to get her to drink again. "You'll have to be more specific."
"I wanted a pony," she said. "But you," she trailed off. She couldn't remember what he'd gotten for her. In fact she was too tried to try.
"Nanao-chan, you have to stay awake," he repeated. "Keep talking to me."
"Can't," she said taking a nice relaxing breath. "I'll see the fireworks next year. Promise. You have to bring me again. I swear I won't fall asleep next time."
"Nanao," he said more frantically trying to force her to sit up.
"Where's Yadomaru-san? I have to tell her I did a hado 33," she muttered. Yadomaru fukutaicho would be real proud.
"Nanao," he said more forcefully nearly tugging her out of the bed, not that her feet would support her at this point.
"It's alright, let me see her," Retsu said sweeping in and effectively brushing him off to the corner. He paced nervously in the small space it allowed and fought diligently to keep his own reiatsu under control and not mess with the delicate medical spells Retsu was casting. If Kenpachi had seriously damaged her he'd kill him. He didn't care how strong Kenpachi was or what kind of trouble he'd be in, he would most assuredly slit the beast's throat.
"Shun-kun," his mother said, laying a hand gently on his arm. It was only then that he realized every muscle in it was tense. "Retsu-san won't let anything happen to her. It's just a concussion. You can't even count the amount of times I had to see a healer with you boys for concussions. You both turned out relatively functional."
"She was asking about Lisa," Shunsui said worriedly. He saw his mother's confused expression and said, "my old fukutaicho. The one that went missing a hundred plus years ago. You met her a few times."
"Ah," his mother said. "Well I wouldn't be too concerned. You spent one concussion rambling about how much you loved your father and what a big role model he was in your life."
Shunsui made a face at that and she laughed. "See? Nothing to worry about. She'll wake up with a headache and maybe have some dizzy spells for a few days. Illness and injuries always make us a bit funny. Remember when your brother had that bad fever and kept yelling that the monkeys were coming?"
"Oh do I," Shunsui said with a grin. He'd not let his brother live down that particular event for a long time. Scratch that, he still made fun of Seichii for that whenever he got the chance.
"She'll be fine. Ise-san is a big tough girl, she'll bounce right back. Now let's get out of the healer's way." She took Shunsui's arm and started guiding him out of the room. "Heck, you may even get lucky and she'll develop amnesia and forget that she's cross with you."
"I'm not that lucky," Shunsui said with a laugh.
"I'm sure Retsu-san will come and get you when you can sit with her," his mother said as she proceeded to lead him down the hall. "Although I don't think all this sleeping in chairs at the 4th is good for your back. You're not as young as you used to be. You will have to ask your friends to stop frequenting this place."
"Mom," he said, but she kept chattering.
"I mean really, first Jyuushiro-kun, now Nanao-san. You should tie the two of them down. Always throwing you into a big man tizzy. You certainly didn't get that personality quirk from me."
"Mom."
"It's a small wonder both of you boys survived your academy days. And here I was always thinking Jyuushiro was the brains. Proved me wrong tonight."
"Mom!" he said finally tugging her hand and cutting off her rant.
"What?" she asked moodily.
"Thanks," he said simply.
"They're going to be fine, Shun," she said smiling easily. "You worry too much."
He pulled her into one of the rare hugs his family ever had and closed his eyes briefly. At least now both of them were constrained to hospital beds under Retsu's watchful eye. Not that he didn't think he'd get hell from Retsu later for provoking her patients. She'd probably wait to lay into Nanao until the woman got somewhat over her concussion. Regardless of her training he couldn't think of one good reason, even despite a cracked bottle over your head, for backhanding a woman.
"You're going to have panic attacks right and left when you're a father," his mother said quietly.
He released her and sighed. "Come on," he said. "You should take Kiyoko-san and go home. I'll wait in the waiting room until Retsu-san forgives me enough to let me into Jyuu and Nanao-chan's rooms."
"Kiyoko-san only wants to support you," his mother said as she followed behind him.
"She doesn't know me, and she doesn't know them," he answered. "Take her home."
"How is she ever supposed to if you keep treating her like the scum on the bottom of your shoe?"
"I don't treat her like scum," he defended.
"No, you'd take more notice of scum, at least try to scrape it off," his mother countered getting upset. "I get that you hate this whole thing. I get that you don't love her, but for kami sake you are going to be a father, and that child didn't do anything wrong. So grow up. I can't imagine even Nanao-san would be able to tolerate you if you were that much of a bastard."
"I said I'd take care of the kid," he replied with a shrug.
"What? Throw money at it? Like your father did with you?" she asked.
He let out a low growl and then sighed. "I'll talk to her alright? But you should both still go home. I'm going to stay here."
"You talk to her, Shun," his mother said. "I'm going to that all night restaurant around the corner and I'll be back in an hour."
"Yare, yare," he muttered. "Could this night get any worse?" Shunsui plodded back into the waiting room and watched morosely as his mother shot off the other direction and left. Kiyoko looked up at him uncertainly and he dropped sloppily onto the bench next to her.
"Will they both be alright?" she asked hesitantly.
"Should be. I don't know. Retsu-san will let me know about Nanao-chan, but I think she'll be ok," he said, mentally adding that if she wasn't alright there was going to be blood on the 11th division's walls.
"Ise-san didn't look very well," Kiyoko said glancing down the hall. She looked genuinely worried and Shunsui sighed.
"She'll pull through," he comforted. "She's tough." And she was. His delicate Nanao-chan could take the hits and keep on going, he just didn't like to watch or allow it.
"I don't think I could ever do what she does," Kiyoko said thoughtfully. "My family would just die if I ever got into a fight."
Shunsui laughed at the mental image it painted. Kiyoko's family had apparently forgiven her once she'd started living with the Kyouraku's and had showed all signs of being accepted into his prestigious family. Kami, he hated nobles. "Nanao-chan's family mainly encourages it."
There was silence for a few minutes and Shunsui realized the girl wasn't going to start a conversation unless he gave her the inclination that he wanted one. "So what happened?" Shunsui asked bluntly, unsure of how to get to the point delicately and finally ready to ask the question he'd been avoiding all this time.
"What do you mean?" the petite woman asked thrown off.
"The night you got pregnant, what exactly happened?" he clarified.
The girl blushed a brilliant pink and looked down at the hands in her lap. "You want me to retell it step by step?" she asked softly. She looked mortified and he felt bad for her all over again.
"I don't need the sex details," he said shrugging. "I just want to know what happened between me drinking and leaving alone and then waking up alone. I don't even remember really speaking to you that night, let alone sleeping with you."
"Oh," she said, sounding slightly disappointed although he'd made it clear he didn't remember anything about that night many times before. "Well, I decided to check on you, as you'd looked a little unwell at the end of the evening. So I found out what room you were staying in and went up and knocked. Nobody answered, and I was worried you were ill and needed help so I tried the door and it was open. I just went in to ask if you were all right, I swear. But you were sitting at the end of the bed in the dark, and I asked if you were ok, and I must have startled you because you jumped up and dropped your glass and it splashed all over. It was lucky there were rugs or it would have shattered. I felt so bad about alarming you that I grabbed the towel you had draped over a chair and ran forward to help you clean up, but you grabbed my arm and asked what I was doing there. I told you I'd just come to check and see if you were ok, and you asked me why, said I didn't even know you so why did I care."
"A good question," Shunsui muttered next to her.
"Well then I confessed," she said shyly.
"Confessed what?"
"About how I've been in love with you since I stayed with your family, and how much I always thought about you, and that when I saw you that day at the party my heart had skipped a beat," she said in an embarrassed rush. "I really do. I love you. I'm sorry that you were seeing someone else and I'm sorry you don't remember all this, but I'm not sorry I'm pregnant. I've always loved you."
"You don't even know me," he said tiredly.
"Haven't you ever just known?" she demanded and it was the most fight he'd heard in the girl yet. "Love at first sight!"
"I don't believe in it," Shunsui said simply. While he was a romantic, he was old enough to know that love didn't just magically appear and last through the ages. There had to be a real connection. The connection he'd had with Nanao for example.
"Well, I've loved you since the first time I met you," she said passionately and honestly, and it just made him feel sorry for her.
"So you confessed and then what?" he asked.
"Well, then I kissed you once, and one thing lead to another," she said blushing again, whether it was due to the one and only brave action she'd probably ever done in her whole life or the thing everything else lead to he wasn't sure.
"And then at the end I told you to leave?" he asked.
"Sort of," she said softly. "You said something about someone named Lisa and then seemed to get really upset and start pacing and then you told me to leave. I started to cry so you said you'd come and find me in the morning before you left."
"But I never did," he commented wondering why he would have mentioned Lisa at all. It's not like she'd been on his mind. The last conscious thought he remembered having of that night was standing out on the balcony of the party room and thinking about how the full moon in the sky would be the perfect lighting in which to seduce his Nanao-chan if he'd been home.
"No," she said sadly. "I was so worried I'd done something to offend you. I was actually somewhat relieved to learn you just didn't remember."
"Couldn't you tell I was drunk out of my mind?" he asked sourly.
"You didn't seem that bad," she said with a shrug. "It was so dark that I suppose I couldn't really see any physical signs of it and you were a little off I suppose, but how was I to know?"
A very good question. How was the girl to know if something was wrong with him? She didn't know him. If she couldn't even identify what was normal for him how was she supposed to identify what was out of place. He felt his temper flare. "So you kissed me and I went out of control and screwed you?"
The girl flinched at the choice of words. "You weren't out of control," she said quietly. "It was nice. You seemed to kind of be figuring it out too. I almost thought I might be your first time."
Shunsui couldn't help laughing at that. This girl was so far from first it was hard to even put a number on it. "And you didn't think to use a contraceptive spell?"
"I don't even know one," Kiyoko said looking offended.
"Hmm," Shunsui said dully, but his brain was processing. That actually would make sense. Why would a good noble girl need to know one? After all they weren't supposed to have sex until they were married and after that their primary duty was producing heirs. Still, no matter how drunk he'd ever been he'd always remembered the spell. He'd only had to have a couple scares to instill that habit in him. "Right. My mother should be back any minute. Aren't you going to visit your family in Apulia tomorrow? I think my mother said you were."
"Oh yes," she said, picking up on his obvious desire to change the subject and looking relieved herself. "They asked me to visit in their last letter. It takes quite a while to get there and back though so I'll be gone for almost a month. Are you sure you wouldn't like to come? My family would love to meet you again."
Over my dead body, he thought instantly. "I have duties in the 8th," he answered vaguely.
"Oh, of course. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have even suggested it," she said bowing her head.
"It's fine," he answered feeling slightly bad. "You'll have a good time."
"Oh!" Kiyoko said looking surprised. "The baby is moving again."
"Huh?" he asked stupidly.
"Here," Kiyoko said with a flush of happiness. She grabbed his hand and put it on her stomach before he could stop her and he felt the sharp little impact on his palm. "The baby is a bit fussy. He's been kicking a lot lately."
Shunsui didn't remove his hand even as she let it go. The kick had made this somehow more real. It wasn't just a bad dream he was going to wake up from. There was a child, and the child hadn't done anything wrong except exist. Beyond that if she was right and it was a boy he'd well and truly screwed it's life. It would bear the Kyouraku legacy as much as he had, and if he left things as they were, left Kiyoko with his family, wouldn't that be condemning the baby to the same childhood he'd known and hated? It didn't matter that he didn't give a shit about this woman, the baby had to be protected.
His mother came back in and he blessed her good timing for once.
"Are you ready to go home?" his mother asked when she decided they were obviously done talking and there was a somewhat pleasant atmosphere around them.
"Ah, yes, Hana-dono," Kiyoko said bowing slightly. "Of course."
Shunsui saw the two women to the door and avoided his mother's searching gaze.
As the two women departed he turned and walked slowly down the 4th division hall. At this point he didn't even care if Retsu tore him apart. He just needed his friend.
Jyuushiro was sitting up in bed as a 4th division member packed up the blood sample they'd just taken. "What went wrong now?" he demanded glancing up as Shunsui walked in.
"Nothing new," Shunsui said morosely as the 4th division member scurried out of the room. "How are you doing?"
"I'm just fine. And Nanao-san? She did not look well as they were taking me away," Jyuushiro said lightly.
"Oh, she has a concussion more than likely," Shunsui said deflating even more, "but I'm sure Retsu-san will fix her right up."
"Well, that's good I guess. There was nothing else wrong with her?"
Shunsui sank down into the seat next to his friend and buried his face in his hands. "I think I'm going to be a father."
"With Nanao?" Jyuushiro fairly shrieked.
"No," Shunsui said snapping his head up. "Why? Is she pregnant? Where did you hear that?"
"No, I didn't," Jyuushiro said looking confused. "It's just that if you're talking about Kiyoko-san, well, I mean haven't we known that for a while?"
"Yeah," Shunsui sighed relieved Nanao hadn't been knocked up by someone else. "But it didn't really seem real until just now. Up till now I've just avoided it all, barely even talked to the girl. It seemed like a bad dream I could wake up from. But this, this was different. There is a real child that is going to be put through the wringer unless I figure this out. Kami, Jyuu, what am I going to do?"
"You're going to be a good father," Jyuushiro said gently. "Just because you don't love Kiyoko-san, doesn't mean you'll be unable to love the baby. Shun, I know you better than anyone. You aren't going to hurt the child so don't worry about it."
"I have to get them out of my parents' home," he said with a sigh, as all the responsibility seemed to hit him at once.
"So you're sure it's yours then?" Jyuushiro asked carefully.
"I'll never be sure till we get a blood test once the baby is born," he said with a shrug. "I don't remember a damn thing. It's all so strange too. It sounds like me, but it doesn't."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I asked Kiyoko-san about that night," he said. "And she said I mentioned Lisa and got upset and told her to leave. I just don't usually do things like that when I'm drunk, and why would I mention Lisa, but not Nanao? I wasn't even thinking about Lisa that night from what I remember. Then I forget the contraceptive spell, which I've drilled into myself to remember. I haven't even ever forgotten with Nanao-chan and I'd have been happy to get her pregnant. The real kicker is though, I was apparently so bad she thought she might be my first."
"First what?" Jyuushiro asked confused.
"First time having sex," Shunsui clarified and then had to wait a good ten minutes while his friend laughed and then started coughing again. "You know the coughing fit at the end was karma punishing you."
"Well worth it," Jyuushiro said getting his breathing back under control and unable to break his smile. "How much did you drink that you were that bad?"
"Kami only knows, but I didn't think it was much more than usual and I've never been told I'm bad in bed, ever, no matter how drunk I've been," he said feeling his pride smart a bit.
"Maybe they've all been lying to you all these years?" Jyuushiro teased, unable to help himself.
"If they had been they'd have at least told other people the truth and the rumor would have gotten back around," Shunsui said glaring at his longtime friend. "I'd have found out, and all I've heard are glowing reviews."
"Well, you better hope Kiyoko-san doesn't start spreading rumors," Jyuushiro said and then frowned, "Unless you plan on showing her otherwise?"
"I am never sleeping with that woman ever again," Shunsui said firmly. "I don't care if the baby is mine. I'm not touching her."
"But you plan on getting them away from your parents?"
"She can have the guest room," Shunsui said. "Then we'll figure it out from there."
"Nanao's room?" Jyuushiro asked quietly. Not that Nanao had stayed in the guest room during the course of their relationship, but for years before that Shunsui's guest room had quietly and privately always been referred to as Nanao's room, and it had always been altered or done up for her comfort, reading window seat and all.
"What else am I supposed to do?" Shunsui asked in defeat. "Maybe I could give her my room and take the guest room myself."
"No, Shunsui, I don't think it matters," Jyuushiro said comfortingly. "I shouldn't have said anything at all. Of course, you need to have them with you if the child is yours."
Shunsui sighed and closed his eyes momentarily. "I should go get her tonight. She's leaving for her family's home tomorrow afternoon."
"Or you could wait till she returns?" Jyuushiro offered.
"If I do that, I'll talk myself out of it completely," he said shaking his head. "If her things are already in my home it will be a lot less easy to simply pretend I never thought of it and leave them both to their own devices."
"Right," Jyuushiro agreed wishing he could help his friend more. "And Nanao-san?"
"I'll check with Retsu-san, but I figure she probably won't be fit for visitors until tomorrow afternoon. I'll have plenty of time to make it back," Shunsui said. "You'll look in on her until then?"
"What else do I have to do while I'm confined to the 4th?" Jyuushiro said with a laugh. "I'll make sure she's well."
"And make sure to get better yourself," Shunsui said with a forced grin. "What am I going to do with the two of you?"
"Probably get us both into more trouble the second we're healthy," Jyuushiro said.
"Yare, yare, you all say I'm the bad influence, but look at who ends up in the 4th's beds," Shunsui chastised. He laid a brief hand on his old friend's shoulder and smiled. "Get better. If I were higher rank than you that would be an order."
"Thank kami, you aren't. Think of the chaos that would occur if I always had to follow your orders," Jyuushiro said. "You'll be alright Shun. We'll get through this together."
Shunsui nodded and stood wishing he could go home curl up in his bed and not come out for a week, but now there really was someone depending on him. A child that couldn't defend itself and he certainly wasn't going to let history repeat itself with his family. If he had messed up this bad he certainly wasn't going to allow it to be the kid's burden to bear. He spoke to Retsu briefly, getting confirmation that Nanao would be alright and not liable to wake up before he returned, and then walked out into the night. He would eventually have to shunpo back to his childhood home, but right now he just wanted his last walk alone to last.
A/N: Obviously I've been gone for a while :( Sorry guys, I just have the worst case of writer's block yet. I haven't written anything new in weeks, but I didn't think it was fair to wait any longer so here's another chapter and here's hoping I start writing more soon!
Thanks for sticking with me! And as always, please review.