Kumiko was sitting on the decking of the 7th divisions Baracks, leaning her arms over the railings laughing at what her friend had just said
Urahara was sitting next to her, grinning at her loud laugh, enjoying watching the sun set together as they reminisced about the night before
"I can't believe you don't remember it, Kyoraku had been chasing amagai around all night trying to get him to drink with him" urahara teased her
" I thought I remembered most of the night" she sighed, laugh calming down "seems I was mistaken. So he was passed out under the table?"
"for at least two hours " urahara laughed, mischievous grin on his face" it wasn't until Jushiro tripped over him that anyone but shunsui knew about it. The music was drowning out his snoring. Kira and Hisagi had to drag him home"
"poor amagai" Kumiko laughed, shaking her head at Shunsuis antics "shunsui should have just chucked him in his spare room instead of leaving him under the table "
"I think he was rather enjoying waiting for someone to discover him" he chucked, digging in his pocket and pulling out a chocolate bar " so things are progressing with you and Kyoraku? He couldn't keep his hands off you all night"
"yeah it's going well". Kumiko smiled accepting half the chocolate he offered her "we had two really great dates. He's incredibly sweet when he's not mad at us" she laughed, taking a bite
"that's good" he mumbled around his chocolate, having put his entire half into his mouth
"the sex is amazing too" she added, making him choke around his mouthful. Laughing she reached over to thump his back a few times
gasping for air after he managed to swallow he gave her a look "I didn't need to know that"
"if I have to have the image of you getting freaky with that girl burned into my head forever, you can put up hearing when I'm getting good sex" she teased him, enjoying his cheeks getting pink
"I wasn't "getting freaky" we were just kissing". He laughed embarrassed, fam seemingly materialising out of no where to fan his face, coincidentally covering his flushing cheeks
"and if I had walked in ten minutes later?" She teased him, pulling his hand down from covering his face
Urahara laughed "shut up." Swiftly closing the fan to tap it on her head playfully ""I'm happy you're happy though. It's going to get around that you're dating"
Kumiko leaned her head to rest on his shoulder "you think people will care?"
"people just love to talk. Im sure there will be the odd jealous comment, but it'll pass" he said leaning his head to rest on hers
"im sure there will be plenty of jealous girls sending me dirty looks" she chuckled, shaking her head gently "I can handle it"
"I'm more worried about the guys trying it on with you" he laughed in return "kyoraku has quite the temper it seems"
"as if that's going to happen" Kumiko rolled her eyes at him "besides shunsui, I've not been hit on once". She told him amused
"I didn't realise how dense you were" he teased her "I can think of at least three people who would love to take you on a date. You probably just haven't noticed the signs"
"who?" Kumiko asked him shocked, lifting her head from his shoulder to look at him properly,she had defiantly not seen any signs
Urahara grinned at her "im not going to throw them under the bus like that miko"
"you're no fun" she grumbled at him, laying her head back down
"so you keep telling me" urahara laughed, looking back to the falling sun
"since I've got my new tracker, can I go on missions again now?" Kumiko asked softly
Kumiko felt his back stiffen a bit, not getting a reply she sat up to look at him
"what's wrong?"
"I'm just struggling with letting you back out there " he said honestly, crossing his arms on the railing and leaning his chin on them " with these new hidoi, an increase of hollows, the fact Kurotsuchi ambushed you. I know you can handle yourself. And you've got the tracker. I just worry something will happen to you and I won't be there again"
"you can't be with me every second of the day kisuke. Doesn't mean it's your fault if something were to happen. But like you said, I can handle myself. You're training me, which has improved my skills. That coupled with my tracker and the fact I'm usually with you, shunsui or Kira. You need to trust I'll be ok" she told him softly, understanding his worry. She didn't know how she would cope if something happened to him.
"besides, I think you put the fear of god into Kurotsuchi, we've not heard off him since". Kumiko laughed, the corners of Uraharas lips turn up
"it's a good thing Kyoraku and ukitake were there. I would probably be in a cell right now otherwise " he joked, even though it was a very real possibility
"I would've broken you out by now" Kumiko laughed, nudging his side "we would've ran away to the world of the living. Open a sweet shop or something"
urahara grinned at her "that' s your master plan? Running to the world of the living and opening a shop?"
"it needs some work" Kumiko admitted "you would eat us out of business " she finished with a laugh
"that's a definite possibility. Maybe we could get a cat?" he grinned at her, playing along
"you like cats?" Kumiko questioned him amused.
"yeah" he smiled at her "there's loads in the Rukongai, I always end up playing with them when I'm there"
"you're going to turn into a crazy cat lady"
he just sent her a wide grin, fully believing that could be his future one day
the soft sound of feet walking on wood caught their attention, both leaning back at the same time to see who was joining them
"hey Kyoraku " urahara greeted him, Kumiko sending him a smile
"what are you doing here?" He asked them, sitting down next to Kumiko before leaning over to kiss her gently "hi love"
"just got to talking, decided to watch the sunset" Kumiko told him "were you looking for us?"
"I was coming to see if you wanted to go to dinner" he told her with a smile
"yeah that sounds nice" Kumiko told him, moving back as shunsui moved forward to look at urahara
"you wanna come? "
"nah I'm going to head home, have an early night. Don't want to be a third wheel" he chuckled
"you're not a third wheel Idiot". Kumiko bumped his shoulder
"next time. ". He told her "weren't you planning on having us all over for dinner soon? You've still not cooked me my favourite meal" he reminded her
"I forgot" she grinned at him "I do want you both over though,and Jushiro. If my place were big enough I would invite the lieutenants too " Kumiko laughed, thinking how she would cram 9 people around her small table
"you can always use my house love" shunsui reminded her, "the table outside seats ten"
"I'll take you up on that on day" she told him, smiling gratefully "I think I want the first one to be us four though"
the sun was just falling behind the tree line. Sky a beautiful smattering of oranges, pinks and purples. Finally disappearing over the horizon, sun no longer visible, Prompted urahara to get up with an exaggerated Stretch
"right, I'm going to head home. Have fun you two"he told them, Kumikos hand came up to hold his and squeeze it gently
"see you tomorrow" she smiled up at him
Urahara send her a wink before turning away
"bye, Urahara " shunsui called after his retreating form. Turning to Kumiko he asked "you ready for dinner? Or did you want to continue watching the sunset?"
Kumiko laid her head on his shoulder, hand gently resting on his thigh. Feeling his arm wrap around her waist she said softly
"ten more minutes"
Shunsui had brought Kumiko to a small restaurant in the shopping district. Happily talking couples sat around them in the cute space, quiet music drifting from the speakers
"we went to see captain kutchiki and renji today" Kumiko told him as they ate their food
"how did that go?" Shunsui asked her, pouring her a drink
"good. Kutchiki's spiritual pressure wasn't the best, but I've had worse" she told him, conversing easily
"what was it like?" He asked her, popping some more pork into his mouth
"made me bow at him, it made me feel awful, like I wasn't worthy of breathing the same air as him" she told him scrunching her nose in distaste , making him chuckle
""that's not surprising, he takes being the head of a noble family very seriously." He told her with a grin "way more than I ever would " he added with a wink
"I tried to fight renji" Kumiko continued, smiling at the confused face renji had given her "he was stronger than I thought, gave me more of a reaction than the other lieutenants I've seen"
"he made you fight?" He asked her interested, she hadn't had a reaction like that yet. Well, he had seen her temper first hand, being on the receiving end of it. He could imagine what she was like
"more he made me argumentative. His smug grin made me mad so I tried to punch him, Urahara had to drag me away from him" she laughed, finding the humour in the situation now that she wasn't trying to hit her friend
"im sorry I missed it" he told her with a grin, leaning closer to tell her quietly "you're incredibly sexy when you get mad"
Kumiko laughed at his dirty grin "I don't think you being there cheering me on would have made the situation any better. The way I got mad at Kiske for pulling me away, there's a good chance I would've tried to go after you next"
"I've been practicing my dodging" he teased her making her laugh
"have you been back to see the children?" Kumiko remembering what they did after she had punched him
"yeah, I went to see them last week, when I was still sulking " he grinned at his immaturity "they were asking about you. Hana in particular seemed to have taken a liking to you"
"they're all really sweet, I'd like to see them again soon". She told him eagerly, pushing her finished plate away from her
"but not tonight," he told her, hand coming up to call the waitress to settle the bill "tonight you're all mine"
kumikos cheeks flushed at the suggestive tone, butterflies appearing in her stomach. The waitress arrived at the table, laying down the bill with a bow before leaving them to settle up. Kumikos hand quickly shot out grabbing it before shunsui could, laughing at his shocked expression
"I'll get this". Kumiko told him with a smile, reaching for her bag, the handle slipping through her fingers as shunsui grabbed it before her
"I invited you Kumiko, I will get it " he said holding his hand out for the bill, keeping her bag hostage
"it's my turn" she insisted, pushing his hand back to him, going for her bag. Shunsui was quicker and pulled her bag out of her reach
"you trying to rob me?" She laughed at him clutching her bag
he grinned at her " I'm not letting you pay for dinner Kumiko, hand me the bill "
"no"
"no?" He confirmed with a subtle nod "ok," shunsui got up from the table, holding her bag in his arms "one moment my love" he told her before walking away.
Kumiko leaned in her seat wondering what he was doing. Shunsui had approached the waitress and began talking to her, wide smile on his face. The waitress laughed at what he was saying. Turning he pointed to Kumiko, sending her a little wave. Reaching into his chest pocket shunusi pulled out a couple of notes and handed them to the waitress with a smile. She bowed low, smile on her face before Shunsui retuned
"here's your bag love" he told her handing it over
"what did you do?" She asked grabbing it off him, accepting his hand to help her to her feet
"I explained you were being a stubborn little madam" he grinned at her, holding her hand in his and walking them out the restaurant "I asked her to let me pay her there, so you couldn't intervene at the table "
"you're impossible" she told him hiding a smile "I can't accept you paying for everything. It goes two ways, I can pay for you too. I want too"
"you already give me so much "he told her, spinning her round to face him, hands finding her hips "the fact that you even want to foot the bill is more than enough. Let me spoil you"
"I don't need spoiling" she told him with a smile "I don't want your money shunsui, I just want you"
shunsui leaned down and kissed her passionately. Heart beating hard for the woman in his arms. Kumiko pulled away all too soon, looking up at him with a smile
"and ice cream" she added breathlessly"I want to go get some ice cream"
shunsui laughed, walking them back down the path "ok love, let's go get you some ice cream"
"I'll get it" Kumiko told him sternly, swinging their joined hands together between them
Kyoraku laughed "I don't think so". He teased
their playful bickering lasted all the way down the street
Kumiko laughed opening her door. Shunsui kissing her neck making it difficult to concentrate. Finally pushing it open she ran in, escaping his tickling kisses. Kyoraku chased after her grinning, door slamming shut behind him.
Kumiko ran around her table, holding onto the back of the chair giggling, watching as he stalked her from the other side
"no where to run miko" he told her before darting round, laughing at the yelp she made running away from his grasp. Slowly they circled the table, Kumiko keeping her eye on his movements. Reaching the end closest to her bedroom, Kumiko darted back towards the back of her home , turning laughing to see Kyoraku run across her sofa, jumping over the side before running after her .
Tight arms caught Kumiko as she entered her bedroom, lifting her off her feet and spinning her around. Shunsuis deep laugh in her ear made her smile wide. Placing her down on her feet, shunsui turned her around, kissing her deeply
Kumiko starting pushing off his pink kimono as he walked her backwards to her bed