Requested by The Crazy Chick In Black- thank you

Lisa, young Nanao, Hiyori and Kaien

Summer

Lisa took her young charge out for a picnic: the weather was warm and the sun shone down on the stretches of green grass that were empty- most shinigami were still on duty. She had been excused from work that day (or rather, she was ahead of her work and her Captain was snoozing in a drunken stupor, but it pretty much equated to the same thing) and she had packed up food in a manner that was far too maternal for her liking.

She was reading with Nanao when Hiyori wandered past, zanpakuto slung over her shoulder, staring up at the sky. She caught sight of the food, and flung herself down on the rug to help herself, nodding at her fellow Lieutenant but not interrupting their reading. She fell onto her back, watching the clouds again. Lisa frowned at her, but could not be bothered sending her away.

They sat a while like that, Hiyori chewing loudly and Nanao following the words with the tip of her finger.

A couple of hours later Kaien walked past, and followed Hiyori's example to throw himself down and grab some food.

"Captain Ukitake offered me the job again."

His two fellow shinigami did not look over to him, too used to this conversation to offer any sort of surprise at either the job offer or the frown on Kaien's normally pleasant face.

"Are you still adamant that you wont take it?"

He nodded, then shook his head.

"I don't know."

Captain Hirako walked past sedately after a while, hands in his sleeves and Aizen trailing behind him, with his customary smile on his face. Hiyori raised her arm straight up, extending her middle finger and flipping Shinji off. Aizen waved at them, but pushed his Captain, who was yelling expletives in Hiyori's general direction, forwards.

Lisa removed her hands from Nanao's ears as soon as they were out of earshot, and resumed reading.

Kaien sighed, and smiled.

"I guess that it doesn't really matter all that much right now, does it? I mean, it's not like we're in dire need of more seated officers."

Hiyori nodded.

"You ain't got rid of me yet, Shiba."

He laughed, and the worry left his face.

In the safety of the summer sun they sat and stared hazily into the distance, little knowing that soon their lives would be irreparably changed.