A/N: So I've been working on this one for a while and decided to post only when I was close to finishing so I didn't pull another disappearing act. Meanwhile it seems like there haven't been any Nanao/Shunsui fanfictions recently and this makes me sad. Hopefully everyone hasn't gotten bored and jumped ship. Mainly because I will go down with it, and would like some company. Anyway enjoy and let me know what you think!
It was strange being back in the 8th Division. Nanao paused in the hallway and took in the scent of alcohol and what she assumed was old food. The hallway walls were dinged up and obviously in need of some repair, and she had to step over bottles and debris as she made her way back to the Taicho's office. She still remembered the way like she'd been there only yesterday, but the division had never been allowed to fall into this sort of disarray when she was a child. It'd been forty years since she'd been down these hallways. Forty years, and for some reason she still expected to run into Yadomaru Fukutaicho around every corner.
It'd been the same for her all those years ago when she had initially transferred. She'd simply been unable to bear the thought of being in the 8th without Yadomaru-san. It also hadn't helped that in the year she'd remained after Yadomaru's disappearance there had been no less than three replacement Fukutaichos. All of them had been driven away shortly by the 8th's grief stricken and lazy Taicho. He'd been there for the division members emotionally and never shirked active duty, but he'd retreated even further away from mundane office work, if it was at all possible, and had no interest in training a second in command. Nanao wondered if she'd even find him in the office. The last she remembered of the 8th's Taicho he avoided the place like the plague. She assumed it reminded him too much of what he'd lost to stand it.
The sound of someone retching in a room off to her right had her shaking her head and wondering if she was crazy to return. She'd spent the last forty years working her way up through the ranks in the 5th division. She'd been their 3rd seat for the last five years and had been fairly content. She'd never really contemplated leaving until Aizen Taicho had taken her aside and asked whether or not she'd be interested in a Fukutaicho position. Ichimaru Gin was still firmly in place as the Fukutaicho of the 5th, and while it seemed he'd be up for his own Taicho position soon, there was no guarantee of when that would happen. Apparently Aizen had put her name in for consideration when the 8th position came open again due not only to her kido skills, but also her mastery of paperwork. Everyone was well aware the 8th was an administrative nightmare. As she'd never been one to turn away from a challenge or an opportunity she'd eventually agreed. It didn't hurt that the Soutaicho had given her a personal letter urging her to consider the position. He'd been desperate to find anyone that could stand up against the tidal wave of paperwork the post entailed. Nanao also had to admit that some remaining loyalty to her original division prompted her to accept the job, even though she was well aware Kyouraku Taicho went through Fukutaichos almost as quickly as his sake bottles and women.
Nanao made it to the office door and knocked politely. Receiving no response she went to slide the door open and found it moved jerkily to the side, clearly needing to be reset on its track. The sight that greeted her was stacks of papers, empty sake bottles, and a snoring lump passed out on the ratty couch in the room. Carefully making her way through the mess, and trying to hide the look of distaste from her face, she arrived at the lump's side and shook what she hoped was a shoulder.
"Just throw them in a stack," the lump muttered.
"Kyouraku Taicho," she started formally. "I've been assigned as your new Fukutaicho."
"Great," he said nestling down further into the couch. "Start wherever you like." He waved an absent hand at the papers around him, and Nanao wondered again if she'd made the right decision.
"Sir, the Soutaicho wanted me to start with the 8th division's budget. Where should I look for this information?"
"Beats me."
"Then, as I am unfamiliar with these offices, you are going to have to help me look," Nanao said coolly. Really the few times she'd seen Yadomaru chastise him when she was a child she'd thought perhaps her mentor was being too hard on him, but now she could see why.
"Your guess is as good as mine," Kyouraku said pulling a scruffy pillow down over his head. "Good luck."
Nanao sighed. "Sir, I'm not going anywhere until you at least have the decency to acknowledge me and attempt to help. You may stay as you are if you like, but you won't be getting any rest until I'm satisfied."
Kyouraku chuckled low. "And what exactly does it take to satisfy you, my dear?" he asked lewdly as he finally sat up and looked her over. He gave a short whistle and added, "Yama-jii should know better by now."
"Excuse me?" Nanao asked, trying to ignore the blush from his earlier comment. His stare hadn't helped either. Men did not often look hard at her.
"Yama-jii should know better than to send me a woman as a second," he clarified cracking his neck.
"You have something against women, sir?"
"No, I love women," he said grinning slowly at her. "It's just they always end up one of two ways, filing sexual harassment suits or in my bed. I do hope you're one of the latter type."
"Sir, I have no intention of winding up in your bed," she said sharply.
"Ah, then you'll be gone in a month," he said with a shrug. "My advice? Enjoy the month and relax while you try to choose your next division."
"I'm not going anywhere, sir. I was sent here to help the 8th and I'm going to do just that."
"What do you care about it?" he asked standing up and towering over her. She would have thought that would have changed from when she was a child, and that her memory would be larger than the man himself. He still swamped her petite form though. Whereas she'd found it a comforting presence the few times she'd interacted with him as a child, he now used it to intimidate. Luckily she didn't take to bullying very well.
"The 8th was good to me. I loved this division," she said defensively. Ise Nanao was not a woman who accepted that she couldn't do something. Everything was achievable if you just put enough hard work and dedication into it.
"Sweetheart, I'd have remembered a pretty little thing like you running around." He took a moment to give her another once over and smile. "As I don't, I don't see how you could have ever been a part of this division. What's your name?"
"Ise Nanao," she said. "I was in this division when I was a child. I transferred to the 5th about forty years back."
He eyed her critically and then stiffened minutely. "You used to come and read with Lisa-chan," he said quietly.
"Yes," Nanao said. "Yadomaru-fukutaicho was always particularly kind to me, as being so young I was often the odd man out."
Kyouraku gave her a tight-lipped smile. "And you'll even dare to talk about her in front of me. Most people go out of their way to avoid saying her name."
"Regardless of what actually happened that night," Nanao said curtly. "I just don't believe she was a traitor. I'm not going to tiptoe around the subject because it makes the masses uncomfortable. I respected and trusted her. She was a friend to me when I had none. That's all there is to it."
"At least you aren't an idiot like the last one they sent me," he said neutrally. He did however take a step back and slouch into a more casual stance. "I honestly have no idea where the budget is."
"Do you at least know which pile is the most recent?"
Kyouraku made a low humming sound and scratched the back of his neck as he looked around the office. "Probably the stuff closest to the door? Delivery people don't go much beyond it now."
Nanao sighed. This was going to take a while. "And where is the rest of the squad? I didn't see anyone when I came in."
"Probably sleeping off hangovers." Kyouraku shrugged and yawned. "Exactly what I should be doing."
"The morning training hasn't begun?" Nanao asked with a frown.
Kyouraku shrugged again. "I let them manage their own training for the most part. 8th division doesn't often get started before the late afternoon."
Nanao sighed. "And your third seat?"
"What about him?"
"Where would I find him?"
"Again, I would assume bed," Kyouraku said with a chuckle. "You don't catch on that quickly, do you?"
Nanao shot the man a glare and started sifting through the pile closest to her. "Anything older than two years I'm going to dump," she said almost to herself. "There's no point in trying to get through the entire backlog. It'd be impossible. We'll just have to do the best we can and then keep up-to-date moving forward. When the 3rd seat arrives, will he report in here?"
"I don't know," Kyouraku said settling back down on the couch and watching her move around the room. "I'm rarely in the office. I was only still here because I passed out on the couch last night."
"Right," Nanao said with a sigh. This was worse than she'd imagined it would be. How could he have allowed it to get to this state, and more so how could the Soutaicho have allowed it? She knew Kyouraku was a favorite of the old man, but she never imagined his favoritism would extend to this kind of lenience.
"They force you into this job?"
"Of course not," Nanao said sharply. "I was a 3rd seat in the 5th and the Fukutaicho position wasn't likely to come open anytime soon so Aizen Taicho thought it'd be best if I transferred."
"And he transferred you here?" Kyouraku asked. "You must have pissed him off."
"He was confident I could handle it," Nanao said scrunching up her face in disgust as she picked up a form covered in something unidentifiable.
"Nobody seems to be able to handle it," he said in a challenging tone.
"You mean nobody seems to be able to handle you," she corrected dryly. A pink paper caught her eye and she discovered a pile of overdue bills. It was at least a place to start with the budget.
"Lots of women handle me just fine, sweetheart," he said with a warm laugh.
"You're crudeness will not frighten me off, sir," she said severely as she shot him a glare over her glasses. "I grew up in the barracks. I've heard it all before. Beyond that I'm well aware of your reputation, and I am not concerned."
"No?" he asked shooting her a lopsided grin.
"No."
"And why not?"
"I am immune to fluttery words and hollow promises, sir."
"No woman is immune to fluttery words," he argued.
"Not the type of women you chase after, I would imagine" she said with a snort. Nanao continued to navigate the paperwork. She began to make piles of work to dump and work to review.
"Lovely, lovely, Nanao-chan," he said getting to his feet and moving towards her. One hand dropped to her waist turning her from the paperwork to face him and the other moved to her chin lifting her head to meet his eyes. "I have never met a woman with that particular immunity," he said with a warm tone. "Has anyone ever told you that your eyes are absolutely stunning?"
Nanao was frozen for a moment at the shock of the physical contact. Growing up in a military environment, she was not used to excessive contact. She'd read sitting in Yadomaru's lap, but after she'd left the 8th she didn't think she'd had much contact beyond the brush of a hand when passing paperwork or the hit of a body during a fight. She'd had sex a few times over the years, but it had always been a need-based thing – quick and efficient. She was pretty sure she didn't like this sort of touch at all. Her body seemed to agree as she quickly found her new Taicho yelping and backing off as she bent his fingers backwards on the hand that had found it's way to her waist.
"Sorry, sir," she squeaked releasing him as quickly as she'd twisted the fingers back. It'd been a reflex or she never would have physically abused a superior. Given no superior should be taking those kinds of liberties. "But I must insist you refrain from that sort of physical contact in the future. It is unwanted."
"Nanao-chan has a temper," he said shaking the damaged hand as if it would rid him of the pain.
"Again my apologies," she said sincerely. "I should have given you warning, but I simply reacted."
"Your boyfriends must love that," he said sarcastically.
Nanao blushed and turned away from him again. She certainly wasn't about to discuss her lack of a love life with this man. The men she had slept with had always been more of work acquaintances than actual boyfriends. She worked long hours and rarely had any interest in investing the time and effort it took to maintain a steady relationship. "You, sir, are not my boyfriend and as such should keep touching to the professional limit."
"Right," he said dryly pulling his hat down over his eyes. "This is going to be a super fun month."
"I will be here for longer than a month so I would begin getting used to it," Nanao snapped back. The man really was infuriating and she'd only had to deal with him for ten minutes. How had Yadomaru-san put up with him? She knew he was powerful, but all the power in the world wasn't going to help if he couldn't be bothered to get up from a nap.
"Well then, looks like you've got everything under control. I'll leave you to it."
"Taicho," she started in exasperation.
The man crossed the room, picked up a bottle of sake from a corner, and shunpoed out the window without another word. She wouldn't see him again for two weeks, and when she did it would be because he'd passed out on the couch again after a drinking bender.