The next night after a long grueling day of training and work Nanao sat at the edge of the bar nursing her drink as the group around her started to sway with their arms around each other and sing again. She sighed and glanced at the clock once more. She was exhausted and wanted to go home, but knew if she did Hisagi would feel bad and come with her thinking he had to. Currently she just didn't have the energy to talk him into the fact that he really could stay and it wouldn't hurt her feelings. She'd left Shunsui out partying several times with no hard feelings. But then again, they'd known each other long enough before dating that it was natural, with Hisagi there wasn't that ease that a long history builds. So not wanting to ruin his fun she was currently sitting at the bar trying to keep herself awake and smiling whenever he looked her way.
"Bored?"
"That obvious?" she asked lightly turning her attention on the giant standing next to her. Kenpachi took the stool beside her and she heard it groan under his weight. She hoped it didn't give out. For some reason she had a feeling he wouldn't handle that embarrassment well and the bar patrons would be fleeing for their drunken lives if it happened.
"The finger tapping gives it away," he said signaling for another drink.
Pausing to look down at her hand she realized she had been tapping away at the bar and quickly wrapped her fingers around the drink to stop it. "I didn't realize I was doing it. Where's Yachiru-san?"
"Left her with babysitters," he said shrugging. "Heard there was a big melee fight brewing down this way, but they all took off when I arrived."
Nanao had to stifle a laugh. Who wouldn't take off when they realized Kenpachi was trying to join in the fun? Beyond that she could just see Yachiru making Ikkaku miserable right this minute and it brought a smile to her face. "Sorry you didn't get your fight."
"You wouldn't want to?" he asked perking up.
"Not tonight," she said smiling. To be honest she never wanted to fight the man again if she could help it. One concussion was more than enough for her and she was still well aware that if the fight had continued she would have eventually lost. "Sorry."
"Another time," he said deflating again. "Yachiru would be mad if she missed it anyway."
Glad the munchkin would enjoy her death so much, Nanao thought sarcastically. She shuddered to think what the little monster would do to the SWA were she ever to die. Nemu was not good about telling the girl no. "Yeah, another day," she said vaguely hoping Kenpachi would forget about wanting to fight her again over time. The group she was with burst into another song, something about wrestling or some other sport, and she sighed. Then a space was cleared and Hisagi and another man started wrestling in the bar to the encouragement of everyone around them
"Looks, like you're going to be here for awhile," Kenpachi observed.
"Yeah," Nanao agreed forlornly. Going out every night of the week was slowly getting to her. She'd managed to meet them the night before and it'd gone on until the wee hours of the morning. She'd ended up spending the night in Rangiku's bed while the men camped out on the floor and had only managed three hours of sleep.
"Yo, Hisagi," Kenpachi bellowed. "Take your woman home and screw her. She's getting bored."
The whole place paused and Nanao wanted to crawl under the bar and die. Perhaps whatever odd semi-friendship she'd set up with the man next to her was a horrible idea. The pause ended and the catcalls started up. Nanao was starting to think she'd liked it better when she was invisible to most people.
"Do you want to head out?" Hisagi asked making it to her side and nearly as red as she must be.
"Nope, fine here," she said with a nervous laugh. "Carry on," she finished with a shooing motion.
"Oh, ok," he said glaring over at some of his more boisterous friends.
"She's lying," Kenpachi offered helpfully. "Unless you really are a bad lay and she really would prefer to stay here."
She was going to give Yachiru so much candy the next time she saw the little girl that Kenpachi wouldn't be able to get her to sleep for a week. "It's really ok," she said glaring at the unconcerned brute next to her. "I was just getting a bit tired. Have fun with your friends."
"If you're tired though," Hisagi said hesitantly, obviously wanting to stay as another wrestling match started up behind them but unsure of how to go about it.
"It's fine, get back in there," she said mustering a smile.
"You're sure?" he asked already starting to move back towards the group.
"Positive," she said and he disappeared back into the roaring crowd.
"The boy likes wrestling men better than screwing his girlfriend?" Kenpachi asked skeptically.
"He's having a good time," Nanao sighed.
"You that bad in bed?" Kenpachi asked.
"What? No!"
"You must be. He didn't even hesitate."
"I haven't had any complaints," she defended glaring.
"That doesn't really mean anything. You could have socked Kyouraku in the balls and he'd have thought it was sexy," Kenpachi said with a snort. "So no shocker there."
"I'll have you know that he would absolutely not think that was sexy," Nanao said firmly. Shunsui had lost his set of keys to her apartment once and thought the most reasonable thing to do was sneak in her open window so as not to wake her. Unfortunately for him he'd had his reiatsu locked down out of habit and when she'd walked into her bedroom from getting a glass of water and seen someone crawling in her window she'd kneed him in the groin on instinct alone. Why her sleepy mind hadn't thought to throw a kido she'd never be able to answer, but she could safely say that Kyouraku did not find getting hit in the balls sexy in any way.
"Tried it?" Kenpachi asked raising his eyebrows at her. "Never took you for a rough and tumble girl in the sack."
"I'm just fine in bed, thank you very much," she said fighting down the blush that wanted to creep up to her cheeks. Only years of practice with inappropriate conversations with Rangiku and her Taicho kept the blush at bay.
"Yet your boyfriend is out there hugging a man," Kenpachi said gesturing to Hisagi and another guy rolling around on the floor.
"This conversation is going nowhere," Nanao said firmly. "Did you have a point?"
"Yeah, if you don't want to be here, use those womanly wiles and get the hell out of here," he said bluntly.
"My womanly wiles are all tapped out," she said with a disbelieving laugh. She wondered where he'd picked up that turn of phrase.
"Usually a girl just has to go up to the guy and say I'm horny, wanna screw?" Kenpachi advised. "If that doesn't do the trick you suck in bed. Or he's into men."
"I'll take that under advisement," Nanao said smiling despite herself. "Bar closes in a half hour anyway."
"Suit yourself," he said finishing off his drink. "I'm out of here. Beauty of never being attached."
"Enjoy yourself," she said slightly envious of him. "Tell Yachiru-chan I say hello."
"Sure," he said nodding.
Nanao waited the next half hour and sighed with relief when they called close. Not that that ended the evening. Their group wandered the streets slowly singing and reliving who'd won the fights of the night. Nanao found herself half asleep on Hisagi's shoulder as they took their sweet time winding their way through the streets.
"Hey, you want me to walk you home?" Hisagi asked as the last person broke off in another direction.
"Ugh, so far," she groaned pathetically. The training and lack of sleep were really catching up to her.
"You could stay with me if you want," he offered. "My apartment is just right up the street."
"Good choice," she said letting herself lean into him heavily and be lead the last few meters.
He got them in the door and moments later pressed her against the wall kissing her throat. How much energy could he possibly still have, she wondered silently. Then again she supposed he was still half drunk which might be what was keeping him going.
"Nanao-san?" he said inquisitively as he ran his hands up inside her shirt.
"Yeah?" she asked, wondering if he'd be offended if she fell asleep while they were fooling around. Rangiku said she'd done it to a guy once, although if she remembered right that guy had never spoken to Ran again.
"Wanna take Kenpachi's advice?" he asked in a low voice his touch traveling lower. His hand reached its destination and she found herself a lot more alert.
"I'm kind of tired," she said honestly although she didn't argue as her pants went sliding down her legs.
"I'll wake you up," he murmured happily moving her shirt up to kiss along her abdomen and kneel down in front of her. Nanao leaned back against the wall and let her eyes close. Who was she to argue when he was being so persuasive? She buried her hands in his hair as his teeth caught the elastic of her underwear.
Nanao was vaguely irritated when something brushed passed her face, she was more than annoyed when she felt Hisagi back off, and she was downright grumpy when she noticed why. A hell butterfly had landed on his shoulder and he had paused to listen. Then he sighed and Nanao had to resist the urge to do the same.
"Some recruits messed up their paperwork," he informed her.
"And the 1st is pissed about it at this time in the morning?" she asked raising an eyebrow. She'd gotten hell butterflies at insane hours of the morning before, but it was never about paperwork. It was either from someone trying to get her to collect her drunk Taicho or because 8th division member's had gotten wildly out of hand. She'd nearly killed the three men who had decided the Soutaicho's garden was a good place to relieve themselves at three in the morning.
"They don't have the right access codes to let them back through the gate, so I have to go identify them," he said standing up.
"Because so many unwanted people try to slip through the gate," Nanao muttered mockingly. "And it isn't like we have record of them leaving for the living world, so of course it couldn't be the same people trying to get back through."
Hisagi smiled and kissed her. "Red tape and paperwork," he said with a shrug. "You know how it is. Feel free to stay here. I'm sure I'll be back shortly."
"Nothing with the 1st is ever short if they are trying to prove the importance of proper paperwork," Nanao sighed.
"I suppose you would know best," he said grinning. "Seriously make yourself at home." Then he slipped his shoes on and headed back out the door leaving a seriously frustrated Nanao. At least before she'd just been sleepy. Now she was horny and sleepy. Great.
Nanao stood awkwardly in his hallway and wasn't sure what to do. She honestly didn't feel comfortable invading his personal space without him here. It felt too much like snooping. Sighing, she slipped her shoes back on and made sure his door locked behind her while mentally prepared herself for the long trek home. At least a nice steady shunpo across the Seireitei might work off some tension. She set a slower pace and enjoyed the feeling of moving through the early morning air. It was moments like this that made her grateful all over again for her reiatsu levels. She couldn't imagine how dull life would be if she'd just ended up wandering the Rukongai for the whole of her after life.
A familiar reiatsu jostled her out of her memories and she slowed down as their paths coincided. Really she should probably be speeding up, but it was second nature to stop for him. Kyouraku ended up on the same rooftop with her a minute later. She paused completely and nodded to him wondering absently how drunk he was at this hour in the morning.
"Out late, Nanao-chan," he commented frowning. He didn't ask what she'd been doing.
"Or early," she answered looking him over. He didn't look wasted. He looked tired. "Are you coming from the 8th?" she asked unable to hide the surprise in her tone.
"Lots of paperwork this time of year," he said with a shrug as they both shunpoed down from the roof and started walking along the streets by some silent mutual consent.
"I'm aware," she said dryly. "That still doesn't explain why you were at the office until now."
"I'm hurt," he said with mock pain in his voice, but he seemed too tired to keep up the act for long. "Somebody has to do it."
"Get a fukutaicho," she said rolling her eyes. Shunsui just shrugged and they walked on in silence for a few minutes.
"How are you doing?" he asked tentatively, obviously afraid she'd snap at him.
"I'm alright," she said vaguely. "Why are you really at the office this late?"
"My mother is at my house," he admitted with a weak grin. "Last place I want to be while I'm awake at least."
"Why is she over?" Nanao asked wincing in sympathy. Even Shunsui didn't deserve that kind of punishment.
"Redecorating," he offered simply. Nanao could only assume his mother was going overboard creating a nursery in his house. She didn't push the topic though as she didn't really want to know.
"How long is she in for?" Nanao asked instead.
"Who knows?" he answered. "I try not to ask and hope she'll just be gone when I get home from the office or Jyuu's."
"A mature way of handling things," she said with a short laugh.
"You've met my mother," he said by way of explanation.
"She's still there now?" Nanao asked and waited a moment while Shunsui searched out his mother's reiatsu.
"Unfortunately," he sighed. "I'm hoping to get a shower and a change of clothes and then go back to the office to sleep before she can really trap me."
"Do you want breakfast?" Nanao offered before she could really think it through. The second the words left her lips she winced. It was stupid of her to do really, but she'd been planning on cooking, as it seemed she'd be getting no sleep anyway, and it'd just seemed natural to offer when he'd obviously been having such a miserable couple of days. She scrambled to cover up the mistake as he shot her a surprised look. "I was going to make breakfast anyway and I hate cooking for just myself," she explained with a shrug, which was true enough. "But I don't want to keep you."
"I'd love breakfast if it's alright," he accepted hesitantly.
"Sure," she said unsure of how to take the offer back and not even confident she wanted to. They'd often eaten meals together long before they were dating and breakfast had been something of a habit when taking care of Kyouraku after late night binges. She'd been missing the easy camaraderie the two of them had maintained long before she ever gave into being with him romantically. "Omelets and rice ok?"
"Better than ok," he said grinning. "I've been missing Nanao-chan's cooking. None of the restaurants around here taste as good as your breakfasts."
"And heaven forbid you learn how to make it yourself," she said exasperatedly. She'd tried to teach him once. They'd ended up having to throw away the pan he'd attempted with. Cooking would never be one of his many talents.
"I'm not suicidal, Nanao-chan," he said with a laugh.
"I've never met anyone else who couldn't even cook rice," she teased.
"Not my fault I never had to learn," he said.
"Such a rich boy," she mocked shaking her head as she unlocked her door. A bundle of fur slammed into her legs and she grinned down at the cat, scooping him up into her arms. Boo took one look at the man standing next to her and started growling.
"Good to see some things never change," he grumbled glaring back at the cat.
Nanao laughed and pushed the door open letting him enter in front of her and hanging on to Boo while he slipped off his shoes. "If you'd just been patient and waited for him to warm up to you, it'd have been fine. It's not Boo's fault that you started world war three with him. Locking him in cabinets and drugging his milk."
"Nanao-chan, I have a foot long scar down the back of my leg where he attacked me when I was just sitting reading the paper," Shunsui said glaring over at the cat. "And you're saying I started it?"
"More than likely," she said smiling and letting the cat out of her arms. The man and the cat stared each other down and Nanao laughed as she slipped passed them and further into the apartment. "I'll have some tea out in a few. Don't hurt my kitty."
"I won't if he won't," Shunsui called after her.
Nanao just snorted and went into her kitchen. A few minutes later Shunsui slipped in behind her and she smiled to herself. The man never could just wait quietly.
"Need any help?"
"I'll let you take over the tea so I can get the rest started," she said moving away to grab a pan. "You can manage that, right?"
"I am a tea master," he declared.
"How is Jyuushiro-san doing after his fit?" Nanao asked after a few minutes of silence. "He seemed better the other night when I ran into the two of you."
"He's much better," Shunsui said smiling. "And your head?"
"Rarely bothers me at all anymore," she answered.
"That's good," Shunsui said lightly removing the now boiling water. "How's your brother?"
"He's alright," Nanao replied working with her ingredients. "He's not real pleased with my further involvement in the yakuza, but I'm not sure what exactly he expected to happen."
"Have things been going well there?" Shunsui asked curiously. He poured the tea and took a seat at her small kitchen table.
"Define well," Nanao said derisively.
"Jyuu said," and then he trailed off.
"That I killed a man?" Nanao supplied, not at all surprised that what she told Ukitake had gotten back to Kyouraku.
"Yes," Shunsui nodded. "Need to talk about it?"
"Not really," Nanao said shrugging. "He was a man my father knew."
Shunsui nodded and didn't ask any further. One commendable thing about Shunsui was he knew well and good when some topics just shouldn't be pushed. Not that that always stopped him from pushing, but he did at least know where the lines were. It was also nice to have a person she knew she could admit she'd killed someone to and they would simply take it for granted that she'd been in the right. Nanao had no intention of letting anyone beside Shunsui and Jyuushiro in on the fact. Even her brother would react badly to it and Hisagi, well they just didn't know each other that well. She had to assume he wouldn't take the news well or at least question why she did it. "This for the 1st?" Shunsui asked holding up the report she'd been working on and had left on the table. She nodded in confirmation and continued focusing on the food. "Do you mind if I take a look?"
"The 1st might, but I don't care," Nanao said simply. She cooked the rest of the breakfast to nothing but the sound of flipping pages.
"The Kumicho was killed?" Shunsui asked finally.
"Uh huh," she confirmed putting the omelets on plates. She'd been debating whether or not to reveal the true identity of the Kumicho in her report and she couldn't decide whether it would help her or hurt her. "Can I ask your advice off the record?" she asked finally.
He looked at her seriously for a moment and then leaned back and smiled. "Nanao-chan there is very little you could tell me on record that I wouldn't keep a secret if you asked me to. So as long as you are not planning on betraying the Gotei 13 or assassinating any of its members, I'd say you're more than welcome to ask away."
"Nothing so drastic," she said returning his smile. At the end of the day she knew he would always try to protect her best interests. It was a nice feeling. "The Kumicho is a cover. Do you remember Kei-san? I think you met him at my brother's birthday party. Dark hair, blue eyes. Loves inappropriate nicknames almost as much as you do."
"Vaguely," Kyouraku said thinking. "I believe I had a short drinking contest with him. Nice guy. Holds his liquor well."
"Wonderful standard to judge people on," Nanao said with a snort. "He's the actual Kumicho."
"Really," Shunsui said and then took a moment to think it over. "I could see that."
"From your drinking contest?" Nanao asked smiling as she slid a full plate over to him and took the seat across from him. "Real leadership qualities on display there?"
"You'd be surprised what you can learn about a person while drinking," Shunsui said grinning over at her. Nanao herself tended to be extremely honest when drunk, and Shunsui had never missed an opportunity to exploit that. It was a big reason Nanao had never gotten drunk anywhere near him before they were dating.
"Do I tell the 1st or not?" she asked as they both started to eat.
"I'm sure you should," Shunsui said lightly and then shrugged. "But on the other hand does it do you any good to do so? Currently what's the use of the information to the 1st? Not much. It could, however, damage your position later if the Higurashi find out you spilled the beans. Then again, if Yama-jii finds out you withheld the information there will be hell to pay. Frankly right now, you've already proven yourself to the Gotei 13, but haven't been able to do the same to the Higurashi. You're going to have to weigh the costs and benefits. In the current situation it may do you more harm than good to share the information. The Higurashi will appreciate that you respected their secrets."
"Did you just advise me to withhold information from the 1st?" she asked smiling.
"Are you going to turn me in?" he asked.
"It's not like the Soutaicho would even really get mad at you," Nanao commented. "Teacher's pet."
"He might," Shunsui defended.
"Well, you don't have to worry about it," Nanao said smiling. "Your secret is safe with me."
"I didn't see anything about a dead man in there," Shunsui said nodding to the report and watching her. "I mean besides the ones the hollows killed."
"Yeah, that's," Nanao started and then paused. "Complicated." It would be impossible to explain without further exposing her zanpaktous abilities, and she still didn't think the Soutaicho would look the other way if Shunsui knew about that and didn't report it. She also knew Shunsui would never report it if she did tell him. "It wasn't part of the mission so I didn't see any reason to include it."
"Nanao-chan," he started and then stopped.
"Yes?" she asked lifting an eyebrow.
"Never mind," he said stiffly.
"Shunsui," she spat out sharply.
"Look, we were having a nice time and I don't want to mess it up," he admitted looking down at his plate and pushing some of his food around.
"What do you have to say?" she asked. "I requested your advice."
"I just was going to ask if there would be any repercussions from the man you killed," he said refusing to look up at her. "I just wanted to make sure you weren't in any danger." Nanao opened her mouth to respond and he cut her off as he continued to talk. "I know you don't want me worrying about you, and I know you can take care of yourself. Look, forget it. Can't teach an old dog new tricks, right? I worry about you and I get overprotective. I know. I'm sorry. Just forget it."
"It's fine," she said softly. "I'll be ok. They can't necessarily prove that it was me who did it."
He lifted his head and gave her a quizzical look. "Care to explain?"
"Not particularly," she said looking down at her own plate.
"But you're safe?" he asked quietly.
"Should be," she answered. "Kei-san thinks he has something on me, but there's no way to prove it."
"He's trying to blackmail you?" Shunsui asked and she saw the look in his eyes she'd seen so many times before when he thought someone was doing her a bad turn. She always pitied the opponents that thought this peaceful man didn't have it in him to win fights. He was more dangerous because they always underestimated him.
"Trying being the key word," she said with a comforting smile. "And he isn't really trying, more like implying that he could at some point if he wanted to. To some extent I understand it. If the murder was traced back to me it would imply the Higurashi were involved. I put his family in danger. It'd be like if he'd done something to put the 8th on the line. I'd have warned him off too. I'm not worried about it."
"If you need help," he offered uncomfortably.
"I'll ask you for it," she confirmed.
"So what are you reading lately?" he asked trying to switch the topic back to more neutral ground.
"Actually that book about the samurai you recommended a while back," she said smiling. "It's pretty good."
"It hasn't been regulated to the insomnia reading pile?" he asked with a laugh.
"Nope," she said happily. The insomnia reading pile was a running joke between them for books that Nanao found dull or uninteresting that she used to help herself fall asleep. "Although that book you recommended about that family with the mysterious past, I can't remember the name, that one got thrown on the pile. How can you read that dribble? It was basically just everyone sleeping with everyone else and then being shocked when they discovered it."
"I think I enjoyed all the raunchy sex," Shunsui offered up laughing. "How can that possibly put you to sleep?"
"Come on," Nanao said grinning. "It wasn't even sexy. It was just crude and descriptions like his burning staff brings to mind horrible diseases instead of enjoyable sex. Plus it just went on forever, and not in the good way. About six pages into the third sex scene I was like just hurry up and finish it."
"Nanao-chan just doesn't have a taste for the finer things in life," he teased.
"Shunsui, that book was almost as bad as your Rose Colored Path," she retorted.
"Hey, that was pure poetry," he defended.
"You're the only person that thinks so," she snorted.
"Well, you know what," he said. "All of your recommendations haven't been hits either."
"That's because you like romantic fluff," she argued.
"Nothing wrong with fluff," he said. "You never did appreciate the fluff." Their age-old argument raged on for a while longer and then spiraled into a hundred different topics like it always did. A couple hours later Nanao found herself laughing until she glanced at the clock.
"Oh shoot," she said getting to her feet and cursing the fact that she hadn't bothered to sleep at all. "I'm going to miss my morning training if I don't leave soon."
She started to gather the dishes and he pushed her hands away. "Go get ready. I'll clean them."
"Thanks," she said absentmindedly shooting off towards her bedroom. A few minutes later she reemerged to Shunsui drying the plates and putting them back in her cabinets. "Are you headed back to the office?"
"Probably need to grab a shower at my place first," he said with a miserable sigh. "But then I was planning on heading back into the 8th and sleeping on the couch to avoid her."
"You can shower here if you want," she offered before she really thought it through. "Just don't torture Boo and lock the door on your way out."
"You're sure you wouldn't mind?" he asked raising an eyebrow.
"Shunsui, I've met your mother," she said rolling her eyes and deciding she really was ok with it. "It's not a big deal. Just don't leave your wet towel on the bed or I'll have to kill you."
"I only did that a few times," he defended.
"You did it at least once a week," she argued. "Is your memory going?"
"I have an amazing memory," he said with a huff. "Maybe it's your memory that is shoddy."
"There isn't one person in the whole of Seireitei that would believe my memory is the bad one of the two of us," she said with a confident grin. "Like I said, lock up behind you. I have to go or I'm going to miss it."
"Enjoy," he called after her.
"Nothing I like more than having my ass handed to me in the morning," she answered with a wave as she shot out the door. Halfway to the 11th she was pretty sure she should be feeling strange about leaving her ex-boyfriend in her apartment alone, but it had really been even more odd over the past few months that he was never in her home. Even before they were dating he was a semi-regular presence. It'd been nice to be casual with him again. As long as they avoided talking about their personal lives, everything went swimmingly. Maybe somehow they'd even be able to manage a friendship one day. Although she didn't have any doubts things would change once again when the baby was born. Nanao shook her head as she entered the 11th and tried to refocus on the task at hand.
"Bug Killer!" Yachiru greeted. "What's up with you?"
"What do you mean?" she asked as she swept the charging girl up into her arms.
"She's probably wondering why you're grinning like an idiot," Kenpachi supplied adjusting his sword and glancing at the two of them. "Hisagi finally get down to business?"
She gave him a withering look and let Yachiru scramble down out of her hold. "I am not grinning like an idiot."
"Not anymore," he conceded. "You shouldn't be ashamed of a good screw."
"I think I liked you better when you ignored me," Nanao said with a glare.
"Go back to being a librarian then, Ise," he said with a challenging grin.
Nanao tried to think of a smart reply, but was interrupted by Ikkaku calling for the lower ranks to form up. It didn't matter anyway. She had not been smiling like an idiot and certainly not because of Shunsui.
A/N: So I upped the rating to M, not because I have any intention of writing lemons but because the characters obviously do discuss sex and I just don't want to piss anyone off that finds that offensive. Also for nekonotaishou and anyone else who is worried about this veering off from being a Shunsui/Nanao fic, hopefully this chapter alleviated some of your fears. As always please review! It makes my day, and as it is now officially a Monday on the east coast and I have to go back to work (and obviously should be sleeping instead of posting) I need all the little happy moments I can squeak out.