Date Originally Posted: 4/14/2008
Title: Unspoken Agreement
Series: BLEACH
Rating: G
Characters: Shunsui, Nanao-chan
Pairing: Slight Shunsui/Nanao I suppose
Spoilers: None.
Word Count: 847
Thanks to: Tsuki.

DISCLAIMER: BLEACH is not mine. Shunsui is not mine. Neither is Nanao-chan.

Shunsui bobbed his way across the path to 8th division. Through his slightly drunken haze, he noticed there a light flickering in the office he shared with his Nanao-chan.

Nanao-chan.

He signed as his inebriated brain slowly processed his thoughts. Nanao-chan must still be in the office working. Shunsui tilted his head to check the moon's position but ended up losing his balance. He fell onto his back with a loud thud and a yelp.

Hmm… The moon was a lot easier to see now.

The moon was big and round. Kind of like his extra special extra big sake cups that he liked to use only on extra important occasions. But that was beside the point. Judging from the moon's spot in the sky, Shunsui figured it must have been very late. He decided he would rescue the fair damsel Nanao-chan from the evil clutches of overwork.

"Charming Nanao-chaaa-"

Shunsui stopped short as he surveyed the slumped form of Nanao-chan over her desk. His eyes softened as he noted the dark circles around her closed eyes. A large stack of paper sat on the far corners of her desk.

He gently removed Nanao-chan's glasses and placed them safely on the desk. Shunsui then scooped his lieutenant up and slowly and slightly steadily (okay so he stumbled maybe once or twice) made his way to the other side of the room. He placed her on the couch that he had insisted be placed in the room. Gently, he laid her on the couch. Grabbing the blanket that he kept on the back of the couch for this very reason, Shunsui carefully covered her with it. She snuggled into the warmth of the cloth with a content sigh.

Shunsui gazed down at the slumbering female with soft eyes. He wished Nanao-chan wouldn't work herself so hard. No matter what he said, she would always push herself to exhaustion. Every couple of weeks he would find his poor Nanao-chan asleep at her desk late at night.

The first time Shunsui came upon this situation, he had covered her with his big pink kimono. Nanao-chan was embarrassed and not terribly happy when she woke up. Perhaps he shouldn't have sat and stared intently at her darling face. That may have been a mistake. By now he also learned not to mention how he found her soft feminine snores simply adorable.

He longed to pull the hairclip from Nanao-chan's head so he could run his calloused fingers through her silky locks. However, he was simply content at the moment at just the sight of Nanao-chan's relaxed posture and sleeping face unobstructed by glasses.

He wished he could convince her to take a vacation from work. The one time he hinted at that, Nanao-chan's face never changed as she declined the suggestion. But Shunsui would never forget the look in her eyes. (He had gotten quite adept at reading Nanao-chan's eyes.) That time her eyes were blazing with anger tinged with an underlying hint of hurt. And then he realized it. She took it as a blow to her pride. As if he was implying that she couldn't handle it all. Shunsui never wanted to see that look in her eyes again.

Instead, Shunsui would often have Nanao-chan accompany him on a nice sunny day or even a dark cloudy one to one of his favorite spots for some relaxation. (After all, being a captain was tough.) When she would protest, he would whine that it was no fun by himself. And Kyoraku Shunsui did not like to feel lonely. Besides, Jushiro wouldn't come out to play. So Nanao-chan would consent with an exasperated look on her face but her eyes would be smiling. Perhaps another one of those outings were in order.

When he noticed that the sun was already rising, Shunsui rose to wake the female up. He knew Nanao-chan wouldn't want anyone to see her asleep like this.

Shunsui carefully placed Nanao-chan's glasses back on her face. Then he quietly made his way down the hall. He turned around and began to thud around in the hallway. Slowly and loudly, he made his way back to the office. After walking into the door, he flung it open to see Nanao-chan sitting calmly at her desk, staring at the papers before her.

"Ah, Nanao-chan! Working so hard already," he called.

"Taicho, I'm surprised to see you in the office so early," Nanao-chan replied without looking up. She knew who had moved her but it was an unspoken agreement to not bring the subject up.

"Ne, Nanao-chan, I was on my way home when I saw the beautiful sky. Since I noticed your lovely reitsu, I thought I should come whisk my fair Nanao-chan off. Let us go over to that hill and gaze upon the amazing sky that pales in comparison only to your beauty."

"Taicho," Nanao-chan warned.

"Unohana put Jushiro on bed rest. She said he can't even come out to talk!" Shunsui pouted.

Nanao-chan sighed, "Fine."

"And this time you can't bring paperwork with you," he lightly ordered.