Shunsui woke the next morning, Kumiko draped over his chest, sleeping soundly. Smiling softly he wrapped his arm tighter around her, savouring the tender moment, closing his eyes.

Last night they had a wonderful dinner, followed by a romantic walk sharing ice cream and stories. Shunsui couldn't remember ever feeling this way about a woman before. Every moment spent with her filled his chest with the most amazing feeling. Any time apart he found himself day dreaming about her. The way her eyes lit up when she found something funny, her loud infectious laugh. How sweet she was. So caring for those around her The way she could make him laugh without even trying

Shunsui kissed her hair gently, absolutely infatuated with her. Kumiko stirred gently, pulling him from his thoughts. Stretching out her legs under the blanket, she wrapped her arm around him squeezing him softly

"morning " she mumbled into his chest

"good morning love" he told her kissing her hair

"did you sleep well?" She asked him, turning to look up at him

"I always sleep well with you in my arms" he told her honestly

Kumiko sat up in bed, rubbing her tired eyes trying to wake up fully. Long purple hair tumbled down her naked back caught Shunsuis attention, hand reaching out to touch her smooth looking skin

"I'll go make us some breakfast before work". She told him

shunsui sat up leaving a trail of kisses on her bare shoulder "you should stay in bed with me" he mumbled into her skin

Kumiko laughed, turning her head to look at him

"don't start that, we don't have time. I can't be late to work again, Kiske will have my ass" she told him playfully

"we can call in sick" he tried. Kissing her neck "I wanna hear you calling my name til lunch "

Kumiko laughed getting out of bed, shunsui watching her naked body with hungry eyes as she wrapped a dressing gown around her curves.

"you're insatiable" she smiled at him amused

"I don't think I could ever get enough of you" he told her honestly

"if we call in sick, we will have urahara and your lieutenant knocking my door down. Get dressed, I'll start breakfast " she said over her shoulder walking to the kitchen


Kumiko, finally shooing Kyoraku off to work, made it to the office a few minutes before nine, happy she wasn't late

"morning Kiske" she told her friend happily, seeing his sat at the table with a hot drink in his hand

"morning miko, there's more tea over there if you want one?" He offered nodding to the tea pot on the side

Kumiko helped herself to a cup before joining him at the table, gently blowing on her tea she asked "what are our plans for today cap?"

Urahara smiled at the way she addressed him "I've woken up with a load of energy I'm itching to get rid of . " he told her with a grin "im going to throw you around my training room today"

Kumiko groaned "if you got so much energy why don't you go for a run? I hear kenpachi is always looking for a fight, go throw him around"

Urahara laughed "it's so much more fun hearing you squeak though Kumiko"

Kumiko closed her eyes at his explanation "you enjoy it way to much "

"I never denied it. Drink up miko, I hear the training room calling our names"


"concentrate " urahara told Kumiko with a smile as she caught her breath "you're letting your mind wonder"

"I'm planning ways to get my revenge" she told him, panting heavily

"what have you come up with so far?" He chuckled

"itching powder in your hat is sounding really good right now"

"if you spent more time concentrating on my moves, and not ways on how to get revenge, you wouldn't be getting thrown around so much "

"concentrate" he told her again, raising his spiritual pressure and rushing forward before the first laugh left her lips. Kumiko barked out a laugh as she ducked to the side, avoiding the blow coming for her face. Arm coming up quickly to block the leg he aimed at her,

"better" he told her, dropping his leg and bringing his arm forward, aiming for her chest. Kumiko jumped backward, ducking to the left away from his fist, using the momentum to flashstep away from him. Urahara caught her easily, blocking her retreat, arm coming up to meet hers.

Looking over her shoulder he sent a small wave, Kumiko sent him the best confused look she could while laughing before turning around to look.

Seeing shunsui and jushiro crossing the training room towards them, Kumiko held her hand up to wave. A powerful leg suddenly shot out, knocking both of kumikos legs from under her in one kick.

Landing firmly on her back Kumiko groaned

"what did I just tell you about concentration?" Urahara laughed from above her

Kumiko groaned, letting her arms fall to the floor

"that's a dirty trick. It's only natural for me to see who you're waving at" she grumbled at him, waiting for her breathing to return to normal

Urahara squatted down next to her with a grin

"what would you do if a hollow starting waving behind you? Would you turn to look or would you not turn your back to your enemy?" He asked her amused

"that's different, you're not my enemy. It's just training" Kumiko said sitting up to look him in the eye

"train as you fight miko san" he smiled at her, resting a hand on her head to push himself back to standing. Ignoring her grumbling he turned to the two captains who had joined them "we didn't have anything planned today did we?" He asked concerned he had forgotten something

"no, we've just come to say hello" Jushiro smiled "your lieutenant told us you were here, so decided to see how your training was going"

"yeah good, Kumiko is managing to dodge more and more of my hits. When she concentrates " he added nudging her with his foot

"I'll bite you in a minute " she grumbled

urahara ignored her "I think a few more and we can start really sparing, see if she can't land a hit or two"

Kumiko sat up on her knees, wrapping her arms around Jushiros legs and sending him the most pathetic look she could muster "save me. I want you to train me again. He's going to kill me"

ukitake laid a hand on her head with an amused look "Unohana cleared me this morning to return back to work. I'm good to help with your training again"

"hey that's great!" She smiled at him, releasing his legs and standing up. She poked her tongue out at Urahara who laughed

"he's going to train you as well as me, not instead of" urahara poked his tongue out back at her making her groan. Turning to shunsui, her last hope, Kumiko wrapped her arms around his bicep, pushing herself into him seductively"you were right, we should have called in sick. Is it too late to go back home to bed?"

"I'm afraid so love" his deep chuckle joined Uraharas "I don't think even I could convince both urahara and juu that I could train you better in bed than they both could here"

"I need Yoruichi" Kumiko laughed defeated, hands falling to lightly grip her hips "she would save me"

"stop complaining " Urahara told her shoving her gently "come on let's go again"


Ukitake and Kyoraku sat next to eachother on a large rock, watching as Kumiko ran backwards, dodging and blocking the hits urahara was raining down on her, loud laugh carrying to their ears. From here they could tell urahara wasn't holding back by much. If those hits land. They would hurt

"isn't she amazing?" Kyoraku said gently, watching as kumikos leg came up to meet Uraharas, back flipping away as his arm came forward.

"she's doing exceptionally well, considering from where she started" ukitake turned to look at shunsui, seeing his eyes glued to the woman "I fear you may be a bit biased though"

"how could I not. Look at her". He breathed around a grin, watching her in awe

"it's good to see you happy old friend. Especially after all that nonsense a while back"

"I think I love her juu" Kyoraku said softly, not wanting his voice to carry

ukitake looked at his friend, trying to read his face. Over the years shunsui had had his share of relationships, flings, one night stands and everything in between . Never before had ukitake hear him speak of love with such certainty as he did then

"have you told her how you feel?" He asked just as softly

"no, it's too soon" he said before grinning at his friend "I don't want to scare her off"

"I have a feeling there's not much Kumiko would run away from" he said, looking back to the spar going on

"I will tell her. When the time is right" he said, eyes captivated by Kumiko once more


"Ok, I'm done" Kumiko said waving a pretend white flag of surrender "im knackered " she finished hands leaning on her knees for support as she got her breathing back under control

"see what you can do when you concentrate ?" he told her with a grin

"it was that or get my ass handed to me" she said standing up straighter. Ukitake and Kyoraku had made their way over

"you done really well Kumiko, you've come a long way since our first training session " ukitake told her kindly, as Kyoraku walked to her side

"you did good love" he told her kissing her head, Kumiko gently pushed him away

"don't get to close" she laughed "I probably smell after that work out"

"you smell as beautiful as ever" he promised her

"it seemed you weren't holding back by much" ukitake directed at urahara

"I decided it would be better motivation for her, if she knew it would hurt if she didn't dodge" he explained

"he just enjoys sending me flying" Kumiko added with a grin

"im happy to start our training again when you are, but for now we should leave shunsui " he said turning to his friend "you've hidden from your lieutenant long enough"

"yare juu chan, can't we just hide here a little longer?" He whined, rubbing the back of his neck

ukitake laughed at him "im afraid not, i promised nanao chan I would bring you back in time to finish your paperwork "

shunsui grumbled about paperwork as he walked to Kumiko, kissing her gently "see you later love". He said before whispering "I'm going to dream of you when I'm napping on my desk".

Kumiko laughed at him, earning strange looks from Urahara and ukitake.

He's impossible she thought amused


Urahara and Kumiko were chatting softly in the office, Urahara signing documents and writing reports before handing them to Kumiko to sort into the correct envelopes to be sent out later

"there's always so much paperwork" Kumiko grumbled "I didn't know there was this much involved here. In the world of the living, unless something happened we only had to write one report a month"

Urahara laughed "this technically isn't in your job description. Most of this paper work is mine, or Hiyoris. Since she still refuses to work in the same office as me, it's easier to just do it myself, instead of trying to hunt her down"

"I don't mind helping you". She smiled over at him "I just enjoy complaining "

"don't I know it". Urahara laughed

A sudden loud blaring alarm sounded, echoing over the 7th Baracks. Kumiko jumped at the sudden noise, having never heard it

"shit" urahara muttered, standing up, paperwork forgotten

"the hell is that?" Kumiko asked, hand resting on her rapidly beating heart

"nothing good" he told her walking to his door, which suddenly opened

a man covered head to toe in black clothing knelt at the door, Kumiko couldn't make out what division he was in

"apologies captain Urahara. We've had reports of hollows and the new hidoi in the 47ths districts forest, they're heading this way sir. Captain commander is deploying yourself and captain amagai to stop them sir"

"has amagai been notified?" Urahara asked shorty, face void of his usually carefree look

"I believe so sir, I had just witnessed lieutenans Kira, Hisagi and Hiyori leaving to help the scouting team who had sent the alarm".

"please tell the head captin I'm on way" Urahara dismissed the man, turning to walk back to his desk

"sir" the man said, closing the door behind him

"that sounds bad" Kumiko said standing up, watching urahara grab his zanpakuto before tying it safely to his waist

"it's definitely not good" he said sternly. Kumiko shivered slightly at the change in his demeanour. Gone was her silly, sugar loving friend. Quick with a joke or a hug. Here stood a deadly captain of the gotei 13, ready to cut down anything who threatened the Seireitei and its residents "stay here"

"what?" Kumiko asked confused "I can help! I know how to fight the hidoi"

"no Kumiko" he said reaching the door

"but.."

"no!" He raised his voice before stopping. Turning around he sent her a softer look " sorry miko. I need you to stay here. Me and amagai will be there, plus I don't know how many other captains and lieutenants. I can't put you in a dangerous situation where their spiritual pressure could put you at risk." He told her walking over and kissing her forehead

"I need to be able to concentrate to lead my men, I can't do that if you're there. Stay here. I'll be back soon". He promised walking out the door and out of sight

"you better" Kumiko said softly to an empty room.

Heaving a sigh Kumiko sat back down at the table, hating her reactions to spiritual pressure

I feel so useless she thought, wiping away a tear that escaped. Shaking her head firmly, not allowing her self to cry because she feels sorry for herself

Kumiko contained the paperwork, eyes periodically glancing at the clock