Nanao ripped off the torn sleeve that was by now just getting in her way and shifted her stance. Blood ran hot down her arm and she concentrated on firing off the next kido using Kage to place it right between Shunsui's shoulder blades. With over a month of training between the two of them he'd quickly found a way to harden his reiatsu throughout himself and stop her from getting kido through the body shield at least in shikai. It didn't mean she couldn't explode things right next to him though. Since they'd started this training Shunsui still held back on her, but not enough to make it ineffective.
He moved out of the way of her latest blast and watched her warily. "Is your arm alright?" he called.
"It's fine," she said back. "Stop worrying about me, and worry about yourself." She released another blast and aimed it at his feet. It was enough to throw him off and flush him to the left instead of the right. She was there in a flash step and he blocked her blade with his shorter one.
"Clever," he said, "but not clever enough." Nanao found herself pinned with her back against his front and his blade at her throat. "Do you want to try Bankai out or call it a day?"
"I'm worn out for today," Nanao admitted as he released her from his hold.
"Long day in the Rukongai?" he asked sheathing his swords and moving to the water they'd stowed on the edge of the training field.
"I've been training Jun-san a bit before we send him to the Watanabe family," she said with a shrug.
"It's nice that Yama-jii is letting you take your work out there to the next level," he commented off handedly. Many of their conversations had taken on a vaguely stilted pretense lately. Often they kept talk to work and training, and Nanao was not enjoying the new level of unfamiliarity. She'd foolishly thought he'd go back to the old flirt he'd always been, that he'd at least mention being together again. She had not expected the distance he put between them and the guarded look in his eyes. She felt like a stranger, and she hated it.
"And how is Arai fukutaicho working out?" she asked, not sure how to keep the conversation going as he handed the water over to her.
"Oh, didn't I tell you? Arai-chan quit last week. Something about sexual harassment and they haven't replaced her yet," Shunsui said with a shrug.
"What did you do now?" Nanao asked. This was the second fukutaicho to quit on him this month.
"I'm hurt, Nanao-chan," Shunsui said grinning. "Why would you think I did anything?"
"When sexual harassment is involved its generally you," Nanao answered rolling her eyes. "If I tried to count the things I should have reported you for we'd be here for the next century."
"It's not my fault the third seat spilled tea on me and I didn't have a change of clothes," Shunsui said unconcernedly. "I still had my pants on and I didn't even hit on her. Just said good morning." Nanao stifled a laugh and handed the water back to him.
"Does Nanao-chan think that's funny?" he asked with a smile in his eyes that she hadn't seen for a while. "I know Nanao-chan would have found it distinctly unfunny and given me a lecture on office protocol had she been the one to find me."
"I'm not your fukutaicho anymore," Nanao said shaking her head and smiling. "If you want to sit around the office half naked I'm not responsible for it. Do as you like, although I don't think the Soutaicho will appreciate it."
"Eh, Yama-jii I can handle," he said lightly. "It was Nanao-chan that scared me."
"Yeah right," she said with a snort. "You did whatever you liked even when I was around."
"That's because I liked to see your reactions," Shunsui admitted. He threw her a lopsided grin and she returned the smile. "I thought you were going to pass out from how red you turned when you tried to find me that one day, and Jyuu and I were at the hot springs naked."
"I was a teenager!" she defended.
"You couldn't even see under the water," he replied with a laugh.
"You offered to get out and sign those papers," Nanao argued.
"I wasn't actually going to do it," he chuckled and then amended, "Probably."
"Well I didn't know that. At least Ukitake-san had the decency to look chastised for being in the hot springs in the middle of the day and he actually had the right to be there with his cough acting up," she said.
"You always give Jyuu leeway you wouldn't dream of giving me. I made your life so hard," he said insincerely.
"And fun," she added. A moment of silence passed between them and she wished they could go back to their old easygoing banter. "Shunsui," she started and felt nerves get the best of her. She stopped and gathered her courage wondering when everything had gotten so strange between them.
"So I'll see you tomorrow night then," he said when she didn't continue. He obviously felt the conversation was over and was ready to head home. "We should probably train with your bankai some."
"Actually the Higurashi are holding their fights tomorrow night," Nanao said feeling like an embarrassed teenager all over again.
"Night off from the training then? I hardly remember what it's like to have one of those," he commented. "Whatever will I do with myself?"
"Well, I was thinking, if you want," she started and then had to physically restrain herself from stubbing her toe in the ground in her nervousness. "I just mean that you'd be welcome to attend if you wanted." She glanced up and tried to meet his eyes, but they were hidden under the brim of his hat.
"Fights aren't really my kind of entertainment, Nanao-chan," he said lightly.
"I know," she said, "but after the fights they tend to hang out, have a few drinks, talk, you know."
"Wasn't the whole point of these training sessions to stop me from drinking?" he asked still not looking at her directly.
"Drinking to excess," she corrected. "And it's been over a month. I hardly think one drink will kill you. Unless you've decided to be sober for the rest of your life?"
"You think that would be a bad thing?" Shunsui asked.
"No," Nanao backtracked. "I didn't mean it like that. I just never thought I'd see the day where you'd become a teetotaler."
"I've had drinks in the past month," he said with a laugh dropping his serious tone. "I was just teasing Nanao-chan."
"You don't have to come," she said defensively. "I just thought it might be fun."
"Are you fighting?"
"Yes, I'll probably go a round or two," she admitted
"I'll think about it."
"Like I said, don't feel obligated," she said feeling rejected and hurt for some reason. A year ago he'd have begged to spend time with her outside of work. She wondered if he'd ever felt like this during all those years she'd turned his invitations down. "If I don't see you tomorrow, I guess I'll see you the next day for training."
"Alright Nanao-chan. Have a good night."
"Looking for someone Nao-chan?" Mamoru asked sliding up next to her.
"No," Nanao said shortly, leaning back in her seat again. A cheer went up around her and she glanced back at the fight to see one of the men getting knocked out. She'd already fought twice and won both fights. One was easy, the second had left her with bruises and a split lip but had been won in the end.
"You've been distracted all night," Mamoru said lightly.
"I have not," she defended.
"I'm with Moru-kun on this one," Kei said stealing the seat on the other side of her.
"You both need to find other interests than watching me," she grouched as the next fighters entered the ring.
"But you're so much fun to tease," Kei said with a self-satisfied grin.
"You and Kyouraku Taicho would get along," Nanao said shooting him a glare.
"How is he doing?" Mamoru asked as the next fight began. He'd side stepped around the question of her romantic life for the last month and she'd been grateful for it.
"You'd know as well as I would," Nanao muttered.
"Trouble in paradise?" Kei asked.
"You are as bad as a nosey old woman," Nanao said with an eye roll. "Get lost."
"Come on, Moru-kun," Kei said. "I can tell when we're not wanted."
Mamoru messed up her hair affectionately before the two men moved to a better spot to watch the fight. Nanao glared after them and ran her fingers through her hair trying to straighten it out again.
Katen Kyoukotsu is annoyed with him, Kage said next to her ear. Nanao nearly jumped out of her seat feeling the blade materialized at her side. Kage rarely came out and never in such a frivolous situation. It actually had Nanao looking around to see where an attack was coming from.
"What are you talking about?" she hissed getting a strange look from the yakuza next to her, but otherwise being ignored in favor of the fight.
You are distressed that Katen Kyoukotsu's wielder has not come, Kage clarified. He is here hiding his reiatsu quite effectively. Katen Kyoukotsu has given away his location to me.
"And why would Katen Kyoukotsu do that?" Nanao asked scanning the crowd for any sign of her ex-Taicho. She masked her own reiatsu quietly just to be safe before moving through the crowd to try and find him.
Because she is annoyed with him, Kage explained as if it were obvious.
"Why is she annoyed with him? And what do you care? You've never troubled yourself in my personal life before," Nanao murmured pressing through the crowd to get a better vantage point.
Apparently he is annoying when lonely and depressed. As for my concern, I intend to continue training with you. As he is the only one you feel comfortable doing so with, it is in my best interests to keep that particular relationship stable, Kage said as stoically as ever before dematerializing from her side.
Nanao reached the edge of the crowd and searched the perimeter. If she hadn't been looking for him she would have missed him entirely. He stood near one of the exits in an old cheap grey yukuta she'd never seen before. If that wasn't enough to throw her, he'd shaved as well and the effect was startling. Moving towards him she tried not to catch his eye, but at the last minute he noticed her motion and turned towards her. She saw the surprise flash on his face before he masked it with a big goofy fake grin.
"Nanao-chan, I was just looking for you," he said by way of greeting.
"Were you?" she asked coolly, "with your reiatsu clamped down so hard? You could have simply sent me a reiatsu signal and I'd have found you much more effectively."
"I didn't want to upset the crowd with wild reiatsu," he said with a shrug, knowing he'd been caught. "How did you manage to find me?"
"Good eyesight," she lied and could tell he knew by the sharp look he gave her, but he wasn't about to start in on her for it since that would only lead to her badgering him about his own lie. "You shaved," she noted.
"Do you like it?" he asked allowing her to change the topic.
"I'm giving it a few more moments, but I'm pretty sure I hate it," she said cocking her head to the side.
He chuckled at that. "And after all those years you lectured me on a professional appearance," he said.
"You look wrong," she said reaching up to touch his cheek. "You feel wrong."
"And yet I still don't hear an, 'I was wrong'," he said teasingly.
"I was wrong, grow it back," she said sternly. "Why'd you shave it in the first place?"
"Something new," he said.
"It wasn't at all that you were trying to avoid being noticed by me tonight?" she said a bit bitterly.
"Why would I want to avoid my lovely Nanao-chan's notice?" he asked.
"Because you've been avoiding me for more than a month now," she blurted before she could think of something more diplomatic to say.
"I see you every day," he countered.
"Whatever," she growled turning back to the fight still going on as a cheer went up from the crowd. She really didn't want to have this argument in public and especially not in front of the Higurashi. "This is the last fight of the evening and then we'll probably head over to the local bar for drinks. Did you arrive early enough to see any of the other fights?"
"A few," he said lightly. "You should have been able to dodge that fist," he added glancing down at her split lip.
"I was distracted," she said coolly, but internally she was pleased that he'd not only been able to watch her fight without interfering, but had also not offered to heal the cut. Silence settled over them and Nanao sighed as they again entered the now familiar awkward territory. Frustration bubbled up in her and she crossed her arms as one of the fighters went down hard. For a moment she thought the fight was over, but the man clumsily climbed back to his feet. Shunsui watched the fight dully at her side and she felt her frustration grow. "I told you you didn't have to come if you didn't want to," she spit out finally.
"If I had not wanted to come, I wouldn't have come," Shunsui said.
"You don't seem happy to be here," she argued.
"I told you I don't find fighting entertaining, least of all when it includes you," he answered.
"Well I'm done fighting," she said angrily. "So you could at least pretend to be not miserable."
"Sorry, Nanao-chan," he said shooting her a weak smile. "I suppose I should have accepted Rangiku-chan's offer of drinks."
"No," she sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get upset. Can we start over? Hi Shunsui. Glad to see you could make it."
He gave her a nod and replied, "Glad I could come. When do we start drinking?"
A cheer rose up around them and Nanao glanced over to see the fight had ended. "Within the next few minutes," she said shooting him a smile. "Think you'll last that long?"
"I'm known for my stamina," he said with a lewd little grin.
"Really?" Nanao asked, elated to have even the small moment of normalcy. "And see I had heard you'd fallen asleep before you could seal the deal in the past."
"One time, Nanao-chan," he growled shooting her a disgruntled look. "And I had a fever. If you hadn't worked me so hard that day in the office maybe I wouldn't have gotten sick and would have had more energy."
Nanao laughed and hooked her arm through his starting to pull him towards the exit as the crowd started to stream passed them. "Excuses, excuses," she teased. "Just admit that you occasionally can't perform."
"You better not have been spreading those vicious lies around to the other women in the Seireitei," he said glaring at her, but she could see the humor in his eyes. "It's pure slander."
"I only speak the truth," Nanao replied primly. "Between that and the time you lit all those candles for atmosphere and ended up singeing off all the hair on your right arm, you've got quite the reputation."
"One, you promised not to tell anyone about that," he pouted as she led him across the street and into a noisy bar already filling up with yakuza. "And two, that never would have happened if Nanao-chan hadn't been playing quite so rough."
Nanao laughed and released his arm to press further up to the bar. "If you can't take the heat," she shot over her shoulder. "Get out of the kitchen. First round is on me."
"Well perhaps I should be starting rumors of my own," Shunsui said sliding up behind her. Nanao grinned and waved for the bartender's attention. This, this easy back and forth, was what had been missing for months. "Like maybe a story about Nanao-chan's attempt at a lap dance."
Nanao whipped around and glared up him. "I was drunk thanks to whatever Matsumoto slipped into those drinks, and I wouldn't have even tried it if Unohana Taicho hadn't brought up that story about finding you and Ukitake-san in that strip club years ago."
"How did that story have anything to do with the misfortunate dance that happened later that night?" he asked with a chuckle.
"I thought it would be something you'd like," she defended, turning back to the bar to order their drinks quickly. "I figured if I wasn't letting you go to strip clubs anymore I ought to at least try to make up for it. I can't explain drunk logic."
"It would have helped if you'd ever actually seen a lap dance," he said grinning.
"Well excuse me for not frequenting strip clubs," Nanao said rolling her eyes. "I was just trying to make you happy."
"It did make me happy," he said trying to make a serious face and failing miserably.
"Yes, because I made an ass of myself and you found it funny," Nanao said dryly. "At least I had enough sense to do it in private."
"You got a lot of points for effort if nothing else," Shunsui said and she huffed as she passed his drink to him.
"Keep that story to yourself and the candle story stays with me," Nanao bargained.
"Done," he agreed.
"What's done?" Kei asked pushing up next to them.
"Shunsui-san, I believe you've met Kei-san once before," Nanao said trying not to grit her teeth. She'd really not wanted to be interrupted right when things were going so well. Shunsui had actually been giving her real smiles and not those fake things he'd been serving up lately.
"Of course," Shunsui said bowing his head to him. "Nice to see you again."
"Did you watch our girl fight?" Kei asked draping his arm over her shoulders. Nanao shrugged him off and gave him a cold look.
"She did well," Shunsui said neutrally taking a sip of his drink.
"She holds up much better than when she first came to us," Kei agreed with a grin, snatching Nanao's drink and taking a gulp. He tried to hand it back and Nanao just gave him a withering look and didn't take it. She knew what he was doing, trying to drive the wedge deeper between her and the shinigami. For all that Kei sparred with her she was well aware he'd be content to have her owned by the Higurashi. He was also observant. He'd obviously known there was some kind of tension between her and Shunsui and had decided to see if he could use it.
"The other Taichos have taken quite a shine to training her," Shunsui said with a shrug and Nanao smiled internally at the small reminder that she was still firmly with the Gotei 13.
Nanao impulsively reached out for Shunsui's cup and for a split second she thought he was going to refuse her. Then he released the cup into her hands and she took a stiff drink of his sake. She'd regret it later she was sure, as she'd ordered the stronger stuff for him, but if it was enough to annoy Kei it was worth it. "It's only because I'm a fast learner," she said pretending to care about this conversation.
"Well," Kei said with a cold smile that clearly showed this conversation hadn't gone the way he wished. "I'm glad you could make it out, Kyouraku-san. You're always welcome to visit Nanao-san when she's out here."
"I'm always welcome to visit Nanao-chan wherever she is," Shunsui said coolly.
"He does so like to visit at inappropriate moments too," Nanao said with an unconcerned smile, taking another sip of his drink before passing it back to him. "Remember the time you tired to visit me when the SWA had decided to go to the bath house? I thought Unohana Taicho was going to smile you do death. I've never seen you run so quickly in my life."
"Jyuu said he'd seen her at the 1st," Shunsui pouted as they effectively cut Kei out of the conversation simply by referencing a past Kei had no knowledge of. "I didn't think she'd be there, but I'm not dumb enough to risk her wrath."
"I seriously considered inviting the woman over for tea daily after witnessing that," Nanao said with a small laugh. "Oh, Kei-san, I'm sorry we're being rude. The story is a bit hard to follow if you don't know the people involved."
"It's fine," Kei said with a fake smile. "I see someone I need to say hello to anyway. Have a fun evening." He wandered away and they both watched him go.
"Is he still trying to blackmail you into joining them?" Shunsui asked quietly.
"He would if he could," she answered with a shrug. "I've got it handled."
Shunsui just nodded and handed the drink back to her absentmindedly. "Is your brother around? I should say hello and congratulate him on his fight."
"I'm sure we could find him," Nanao said taking a sip, and making no comment on the fact that if he'd seen Mamoru fight he must have been there since at least the second fight of the evening. "Come on, he'll be around here somewhere." She gave a tug on his arm before passing the sake back to him and working their way through the crowd.
The next couple hours were spent pleasantly enough, drinking and mingling. Her brother had even had a friendly conversation with Kyouraku and no one had gotten overly drunk. Nanao found herself quite satisfied with the way the evening had gone as Shunsui and she made their way back to the Seireitei in the wee morning hours.
"Thank you for coming," Nanao said as they approached his home.
"It was fun," he admitted with a lazy grin. Nanao slowed down and he looked at her curiously. "Getting tired?"
"No, it's just that we're almost to your door so I didn't see a rush," Nanao said.
"Obviously I'm walking you home though," Shunsui commented with a frown.
"That's silly," Nanao argued. "Your home is closer. It doesn't make sense for you to go all the way to my apartment and then backtrack."
"Nanao-chan," he started.
"Don't Nanao-chan me," she huffed. "I was the one who asked you out, I was the one that made the plans, and I was the one who bought the drinks, so I'm the one that gets to walk you to your door."
"Ah, so you're the suitor in this situation?" he asked with a laugh.
"Yes," Nanao said firmly as they came to a stop in front of the path that led to his front door. "So no arguing."
"Well, now I just feel cheated," Shunsui said. "I didn't realize I'd been asked on a date. I didn't take proper advantage of the situation."
"You don't get to take advantage," Nanao said shooting him a glare. "Only the person that does the asking gets to try to take advantage."
"Oh? And here I was thinking the line 'do you want to come in for a cup of tea' was especially made for the person who didn't do the asking to try and take advantage," he argued with a grin.
"As I haven't been over to your house in at least a month I highly doubt there is anything in your cabinets at all," she said rolling her eyes. "I'm pretty sure you've been subsisting off the mess hall."
"Ah, Nanao-chan may be right," he admitted with a quirk of his lips. "I suppose this is where we say goodnight then. Get home safe." He planted a chaste kiss on the top of her head and added, "I'll be tracking your reiatsu till you get through the door." Then he turned to walk up the path leaving a stunned Nanao in his wake.
"Are you serious?" she hissed catching up to him in a shunpo step and grabbing his arm.
"You're that upset I'm going to track you?" he asked confused. "It's a basic safety precaution. I don't care how well trained or prepared you are. It costs you nothing. Although I can lie and say I won't if it makes you that angry."
"I don't care about the stupid tracking," Nanao growled. "But this is seriously it? You're just going to say goodnight and walk inside after I admitted asking you out tonight? I know you've been dealing with things and I know it'll take time to get back to normal, but are you honestly not interested in me anymore?"
The look of surprise that crossed his face was genuine and quelled some of her anger. "You were the one who said you didn't want to be with me," Shunsui answered.
"I said I didn't want to be with out when you didn't know how to back off," Nanao argued. "Maybe I'm crazy, but I thought we'd both changed a bit over the last couple months. You're actually training me, and not just that half assed 'I'll always be there to protect you so you don't need to know this and that' kind of training, but honest to kami teaching me what I need to know. You watched both of my fights tonight without interfering or being overbearing about my injuries. And for kami sake there is no way in hell you'd have let me walk home alone with or without tracking a year ago. Beyond that, I know what I'm capable of now. I don't need you to protect me, but that doesn't mean I don't like it occasionally when you do, that I don't enjoy it when you put assholes like Kei in their place so I don't have to. I just. I don't know. I thought it had gotten back to being better between us after a time, and now I'm not sure that's even what you want. I am different. Maybe I'm not what you want anymore." And now that she'd given voice to the fear she'd been avoiding through all of their awkwardness she felt it settle low and uncomfortable in her stomach.
"Nanao," he started then stopped and sighed. At that particular moment the ground could have swallowed her up and she'd have been just fine with it. "I suppose I'm a little surprised. I didn't think you wanted anything to do with me besides training and friendship."
"I needed to know that I could stand on my own two feet, but that doesn't mean I wanted to be alone for the rest of my life," Nanao said crossing her arms.
"It also doesn't mean that I'm the person you want to spend the rest of your life with either," he said seriously. "Nanao-chan you said yourself that I've been holding you back, both personally and professionally. I don't want you waking up one day and realizing I still am."
"Shunsui, you can't hold me back professionally anymore," she said. "I mean you could try, but you haven't shown any intention of it. You've actually helped with my training and at least attempted to get fukutaichos to replace me."
"Both of whom have failed miserably," he said with a laugh.
"We'll try a man next time with a high proficiency in reiatsu detection and a high tolerance for whining," Nanao suggested with a smile.
"Don't tell me you've recommended the last two," he said watching her carefully.
"Not the first," she admitted, "But I did recommend Arai-san. She's excellent at paperwork and for all intents and purposes seemed completely uninterested in either sex. I suppose I just didn't take into account that she may just be offended by you in general regardless of having any personal attraction to you."
"Of course she had a personal attraction to me," he said in mock offense, but then got serious once more. "That's the professional side then, and personally for you, Nanao-chan? Will I be holding you back there?"
Nanao shrugged. "So I haven't dated around. Hisagi-san was nice. He was everything I should want in a boyfriend," she admitted and Shunsui took the comment stiffly. "But I was never in love with him. I guess I just don't see the point in wasting time mooning about just to discover what I already know. I've been in love with you for years, through every up and down, nothing is going to change that. Nothing ever has. You're an idiot and there have been more than enough times when I wished I fell in love with someone sensible, but I didn't, and what's the point in looking for something I already have."
"Ever efficient," he said with a small snort. "So now what?"
"I'm not sure if that means you are interested in me or not," Nanao noted. He'd easily moved around admitting his own feelings on the matter one way or another.
"How could I not be interested in lovely Nanao-chan?" he asked with a goofy grin. "Shall I ask you out now? We could have a picnic in the cherry blossoms and I could read you poetry."
"Stop it," Nanao said fiercely, suddenly more angry than anxious. "If you don't want me anymore, just say it. You won't hurt my feelings, well you will, but I'll get over it. I know I've demanded a lot of you and still expected you to want a relationship that is forever changed. Maybe this isn't the relationship you'd want. Maybe you needed me as I was. So if you don't want it say it now, and with time we'll figure out how to be friends."
He stared at her quietly for a minute and she felt her nerve unravel around her. Was he really going to tell her to walk away? After everything? "I don't want what we had either," Shunsui said slowly and Nanao felt her heart drop.
"Right, ok then," she said quickly turning on her heel. If she used every trick Kuchiki Taicho had taught her she could shunpo home and get in her door before she cried and got upset and thus he wouldn't be tracking her any longer to notice.
"Nanao, wait," he said catching her wrist before she could launch off. "Let me finish."
And kami he deserved that. To have his say when he'd always let her have hers, but she wasn't sure she could make it through that. She already felt the telling sting building behind her eyes, but she took every bit of emotional training she'd forced herself through over the years and turned back to face him.
He touched her chin and made her meet his eyes and Nanao gritted her teeth and waited. "Before I let you lead, because I knew everything was new to you," he started. "If Nanao-chan wanted to just date till time froze over then I was fine with that. I felt like I'd taken something from you all the years you didn't date. Didn't experiment. And it might be selfish now, but I can't tolerate that anymore. We both might die tomorrow. There's always something bigger and badder than us out there waiting no matter how much training and skill either of us has. If you want this, if you want to be together, I don't want to wait around anymore. I want my timeframe. I want to marry you and have a family with you and I can't be patient anymore."
Nanao tried to mask her own surprise as that sunk in. It wasn't that he was rejecting her, it was just that he was rejecting the relationship she'd demanded originally, the hesitant thing they'd begun now more than two years ago. And it had been what she'd needed at the time, but did she still need it now?
"I don't need you to answer me tonight," he said calmly letting his hand drop away from her. "I don't want to force you into anything, and if my demands are unbearable then we can do as you said. We can figure out how to be friends. I just. Life is too short, even our long ones, and I can't spend anymore of it waiting and hoping that one day you'll want the same things I want with you. I can let you walk away Nanao if I must, but I can't keep you within reach and torture myself any longer."
"Yes," Nanao said and felt surer than she had in decades.
"You let me know when you know," he said with a soft smile. He started to turn and this time she stopped him.
"I'm saying yes," Nanao reiterated fiercely. "Although that was a terrible proposal and we need to talk about the family thing."
"Wait, what?" he asked staring at her in genuine confusion.
"If you are asking me to marry you," she said firmly. "And I believe that's what you were asking me. Then I am saying yes, but if you are talking about having kids the second we get married we still have an issue. I want them, but we're just setting things up with the families in the Runkongai. I need to see that through and I can't do it if I have to re-learn shunpo with a waddle because I'm eight months pregnant."
"Are you serious?" Shunsui asked with a frown.
"Is it a deal breaker?" Nanao asked suddenly not so confident. "If I don't want kids right this instant?"
"No, I mean, you're seriously agreeing to marry me?" he clarified.
"Oh, well yes," she said with a shrug. "But like I said, it better come with a better proposal than this. Because this is a horrid story to tell when people ask you how you got engaged."
"And how long would you want to be engaged for?" he asked watching her carefully and obviously looking for the loophole he assumed she must have found.
"However long it takes your mother to plan the wedding since we both know we'll have no say," Nanao said rolling her eyes.
"And how long until you'd want kids?" he asked obviously waiting for something to go wrong.
"Two years?" she threw out. "That should be enough time to really get the ambassador program planted and growing."
"A year," he negotiated.
Nanao laughed and narrowed her eyes at him. "A year and a half."
"Are you serious, Nanao?" he asked once more looking more vulnerable then she imagined he could.
"I wanted to make sure I knew who I was on my own before I was confident enough to be who I am when I'm with you," she said. "I know who I am Shunsui, and being with you doesn't negate that. If anything it enhances it. I don't want to be your sidekick anymore, but your wife I may be able to handle."
"You think I'll be less protective of my wife than I was of my fukutaicho?" he asked pointedly.
"No, but I know how to handle it better," Nanao said unconcerned. "And before it always left me doubting myself, whether I needed the protection or not. Now I know for a fact I don't. If you get overbearing again, I'll simply kido you to the floor as I have discovered you haven't listened to one word of me trying to teach you how to escape bindings."
"And if I start listening?" he said cocking an eyebrow at her. "What'll you do then?"
"Then I will simply have Kage shove you through a gate to the living world or Hueco Mundo depending on how angry you've made me," Nanao said grinning. "It'll be good bankai practice if nothing else." She felt her sword thrill against her consciousness and her smile grew. Her zanpaktuo had been much more accommodating lately. "Kage is more than happy to oblige whenever."
Shunsui stared at her quietly for a moment and she started to wonder if he'd gone into shock or something. Nanao reached up to touch his arm and he caught her hand in his. "I have to admit I'm not sure what just happened," he said lightly. "I'd like to put it down to the world working in wonderful ways, but I'm terrified there's a catch or that you're teasing me. This seems too easy."
"Have the last few months seemed easy to you?" Nanao asked cocking her head to the side. "Because I'd swear we'd just spent the better part of the past year trying to get to here."
"If Kiyoko-san and the child had lived," he started and she saw the wound they'd left on him shining in his eyes.
"I told you," she said lacing her fingers through his. "By the end, it wasn't about them. You say you don't remember being with her, and I believe you. That wasn't your fault. Given if we get married and another girl shows up pregnant with your baby I'll just say screw it to the living world and Hueco Mundo and simply shove you through a gate into the hell dimension if I can figure out how to open it." She added quietly after a moment, "For your sake I wish they had lived so it didn't hurt you so. It wasn't fair what happened. It shouldn't have ended like that."
"All your threats aside, Nanao," he said eyes serious. "If we do this and something threatens you or any children we may have together I will protect you and them with a fury you have not yet been witness to. And that is something you will need to come to terms with. It is not in my nature to wait on the sidelines in a situation that threatens the people I love, no matter how much of your pride it may wound. I want to be frank about that before we make any decisions. If that's intolerable to you we can end this here and find a way to be friends."
Nanao smiled and pulled his head down with her free hand, ghosting her lips over his. "For me, you'll have to be fast enough to get there before I've handled the threat myself. Good luck with that. As for any children we may have, I'll be right there next to you ripping the world apart. No one touches my family if I can prevent it."
"Family," Shunsui repeated softly meeting her eyes. "I've hated that word for so long, its odd how badly I want it now. Want it with you."
"Then take it," she said. "I'm offering freely. We've been honest. We both know each other's terms. The only question left is if it's what you want."
"Of course I want it," he said with a small disbelieving chuckle. "I want you, I want everything."
"The year and a half is tolerable?" she asked bringing both hands up to his face.
"Yes," he answered covering one of her small hands with his own much larger one. "Though I may tell my mother and have her keep track of the exact days until that year and a half is up."
Nanao laughed. "If you do that, she'll show up on the last day and try to make us use your family's conception blanket."
"Never mind," he said letting his arms wrap around her and pull her closer. "I'll keep track myself."
Nanao laughed again and curled into his warmth. She was struck once more by how much being with him always felt like coming home. "I should go," she said after a few minutes.
"You just agreed to marry me and bear my children and you're planning on going back to your apartment?" Shunsui asked releasing her enough to quirk an eyebrow at her.
She murmured an mmm-hmmm and gave him a sleepy smile. "I thought I made it pretty clear I'm not going to start on the children tonight. Also I'm tired."
"Then stay here," he said firmly.
"No," she answered smiling wickedly. "I figure we've made it this long. Might as well hold off and make the wedding night special. I'll move in at the same time. It could be fun."
"You can't be serious," he said looking horrified. "You do understand that the last time I had sex was with you."
"You'll survive," she said and kissed his nose. She winced as it bothered her split lip and, damning the Higurashi's values, she reached up and sent a light kido healing through her lip. Returning her focus to Shunsui, Nanao couldn't temper her internal glee at his mortified look. It'd been a while since she'd made him chase her like this, and she'd forgotten how fun it could be. Although she rather enjoyed letting him catch her too. "I'd really get on with that better proposal and warn your mom to start planning if I were you. Longer it takes, the longer you suffer."
"I'll break you in a week," he said confidently.
Nanao slipped out of his arms and couldn't keep the smile from her face. "I'll take pleasure in watching you try. I always have had more staying power than you."
"Nanao-chan is as cruel as ever," he pouted. She turned to go and in a move too fast to see he was in front of her again pulling her into a kiss that seared a few of her neurons and left her weak kneed. Alright, so he might win this battle of wills if he kept that up. But not tonight.
"Goodnight, Shunsui," she said firmly.
"We'll elope and be married by the end of the week," he suggested.
"If you want your mother to kill you when she finds out," Nanao said with a shrug, "Be my guest."
"Might be worth it," he answered releasing her once more.
"I love you, you idiot," she said stepping around him.
"And I love my cute Nanao-chan no matter how cold she pretends to be," he sung out behind her.
She shook her head smiling and leapt into a shunpo towards her own apartment. Nanao had no idea how the marriage would go or having children. Probably they'd end up arguing more than was healthy and there would definitely be kido burns on the walls occasionally, but they'd also love each other even when they hated one another, and she'd always assumed that was one of the hardest things to accomplish in a relationship. To know even in the worst of times that you'd find a way to pull through with the other person. Whatever happened next, at least they'd be right where they should be. Not with her one step behind him, but instead squarely at his side.
A/N: The end. Hope you guys enjoyed. Thank you for sticking with me through the at times rather long delays between posts. I'm currently contemplating a romantic comedy story with my favorite pair, so don't expect me to disappear for long.