Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.
Enjoy!
Shunsui fidgeted on his seat as he watched his two best friends shared a toast. Trying to stray away his eye sight from them, he tried looking around uncomfortably. Pretty ladies were scattered inside the bar they were currently in. Normally, he would snake around those curved waists in an instant the moment they stepped in, but then now... he felt like not up to this.
And he would happily admit that it was because of his fellow white-haired man. Though, he still wondered why.
"What's with you today? You barely touch your drink," Isshin pointed out. While sipping in his own glass, an orange-haired lady passed by and winked at them. When she was out of sight, he whispered to them. "I like that one. She looks like Masaki. Hehe."
Starrk and Shunsui made no comment, knowing that Isshin meant nothing on that. The two were the only one who always found their friend still mourning in front of his late wife's grave—when he thought no one could see. Obviously, he dared not to move on yet.
"You look bored, my friend. Something happened?" Starrk derived his attention from the other to Shunsui, who was surprisingly quiet that night.
The latter sighed. "Never mind me." Really, he couldn't describe it with words. He told Ukitake hesitantly that he was going to have a "boy's night out" with these two. In fact, Ukitake happily bid him good bye and told him to enjoy the whole evening because he deserved it and he didn't have to stick around the building just for him. Which somehow kinda brought an impact against Shunsui.
In the end, he was still hesitant to leave him there. Alone. Though Ukitake was already living there alone for two decades before, so an evening wouldn't hurt, right?
Still, Shunsui thought he should really be with him now. In his most special day.
"Hey, birthday boy, you're quiet today."
"I don't know."
"Maybe he doesn't want to be here with us." Starrk snorted. "Probably have a date."
The other brunette shrugged. "I think I left something very important in my office." Someone, actually.
"What? Your condom?"
Shunsui scowled at that. "The hell…"
"He's drunk already. You know how he gets." Starrk settled down his glass. "But if you really wanted to leave, you can. We're not your obligations."
"Isshin is."
"Don't worry; I'll go fetch him a cab if he insisted on crawling on his way home."
"Happy birthday, Shunsui!" Ukitake greeted by the door.
"How did you know?"
"I saw a red circle on today's date in your calendar and I thought it might be something very important."
Shunsui closed the room. "Smart. It could be any other important day."
"True." Ukitake thought deeply. "But I thought you told you're gonna be out for the night? Why come back so early? Do you leave something?"
"No, I came here for you actually," Shunsui admitted sheepishly.
Just like in every scenario, after a straight forward and blatant answer always came a heavy and uncomfortable atmosphere whirling around the area, teasing the two.
"You know you don't have to feel responsible, right?"
"Yes, I know. I just wanted this."
Ukitake's face lit up on that. "Thank you. I appreciate your company very much."
"I should be the one saying that."
"Though I cannot guarantee that you wouldn't get bored. I mean, what can I do aside from talking and moving around some objects?"
The brunette grinned. "About that, I think we can still do something more enjoyable than drinking." He reached under his desk. "Let's play chess!"
"Oh. But do you play that?" The ghost frowned.
"No… but you do!"
"You'll only find out that you're in-love with someone if you think a lot about him/her more and more each day in which you will only mistaken as a friendly concern at first, but when time went by, you will realize there is something more magical in it. Like, you'll notice that you're lingering your gaze towards him/her longer than the usual, or you wanted to spend your time with him/her more often," Toshiro read one of his older brother's chain notes tucked inside his journal. The older Hitsugaya had fetishes for quotes and the like which sometimes lightens up the mood of the younger one at the gravest times.
Though during those moments, it only worsen his misery and how badly he missed his beloved brother who was still stagnant on the white bed.
Yamamoto had finished writing on his diary about that day's event. He even included his greeting towards his non-biological son, namely Shunsui who was probably drinking his ass off right now—or so the old man thought.
While thinking of the young man, he absent mindedly pulled out a photo of his oldest son. His son who never dared to come back, but would invitingly accept one again of ever—Jushiro.
The picture showed both of them happily together. It was the only thing Yamamoto had in order to replenish his unforgettable memories with his son. The thing itself was actually very old, older than his twin offspring who was now in their 20's. The image was already brownish and the colors slowly faded, not to mention, the sides were torn and crispy.
Sometimes, he was thinking of moving on and forgetting about him, and lived once again with his family, but such thing he could never bring himself to do. Jushiro was his only reason why he decided to go out in the city and work under the Kyoraku Family.
But in his long time serving and staying in the mansion, nothing happened that could even give him a clue to where his Jushiro might be. His longing for his own son only worsened when he had taken care of this little boy Shunsui. They looked differently, but they both had that fire of determination visible in their eyes; except that Shunsui always had his clouded with laziness.
Though no matter how you look at it, Shunsui reminded him of Jushiro.
Deciding that the night was already deep and stressful for him, Yamamoto placed his diary under the pillows. But just as he was about to get a fresh heap of blanket, he felt an unbearable pain in his heart, making him crouched on the floor while grasping his chest.
He was having another heart attack again.
Though this time, there was nobody to help him.
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