Nanao was used to parties, even if they weren't her favorite event. She had planned more than her fair share of parties for the Eighth and for the SWA. She planned so many i that she got quite good at it. Gone were the days of bake sale fundraisers. Now when Nemu and Yachiru wanted to raise money for something they came to her. That was how she ended up planning a party in a rundown restaurant in Sereitei. After pooling their resources the SWA fixed it up, and now it was sparkling and majestic. Now the SWA had the perfect place for the parties they dreamt about.

"Can we have it modern living world style only?" Rangiku requested during party planning meeting. "Uniforms are so drab."

"Some people will be just coming off of patrol Rangiku." Nanao shook her head.

"Let them shower first! A party is a party. I say no uniforms." Rangiku held firm and eventually the other girls agreed with her. Nanao huffed but relented. Living world style it was.

This party was a success to be sure. A majority of the off duty shinigami had made an appearance, each paying their entrance fee for a chance to hear the music Yoruichi was blasting through speakers she borrowed from Urahara. Nanao didn't like the idea of charging an entrance fee but the other insisted it was necessary to help cover the costs for funding. Since the Summer donation was going to a set of Orphanages out in Lower Rukongai she relented.

"Are we sure the party should be this big Momo?" Nanao asked. But Momo wasn't paying attention. She was too busy giggling in Izuru's ear. His hand was wrapped tightly around the brunette's waist and his cheeks were flushed as he gazed into his fiance's eyes. Nanao blushed and moved a step away from the happy couple. Nanao was happy for her friend, Momo deserved happiness after literally being stabbed in the heart. But their newfound admiration for public displays of affection made her uncomfortable.

"What was that Nanao-chan?" Momo slipped, using the nickname Nanao detested. "I wasn't paying attention, I'm sorry."

"It's nothing. I'm going to go make the rounds, make sure everything is going smoothly." Nanao forgave her for the slip and for not listening. Momo nodded and turned back to her man. Nanao adjusted the strap of her tank top and headed off to the bar. Living world style was always difficult for her, since she never followed the latest trends Rangiku was always going on about. But she did a good job this time; she wore dark high waisted jeans that hugged her hips, a black structured midriff with a low v and criss cross straps on the back. She finished the look with black heels. She tried to forget Rangiku's back handed compliment that the tank looked great on her because she was so small that she didn't need a bra. The outfit gave her an extra boost of confidence, which was what she sorely needed during any party.

Shunsui was there, as he usually was, sitting next to Captain Ukitake. They were surrounded by a small gaggle of willing and eager female shinigami who giggled at every other word they spoke. It made Nanao roll her eyes even when a lump formed in her throat. She caught his eyes when she went up to the bar and he smiled at her. His real smile, the one he didn't share with other women often. But still he remained in the booth. Nanao swallowed and smiled back even though the old familiar ache in her heart began to throb. He looked so achingly beautiful in his dark shirt and dress pants that it took all her strength to continue on to the bar. She didn't want to make sure the wine list was fine. Nanao wanted to pull him away from the booth out onto the patio where she could run her hands down his chest as he devoured her lips. That never happened. He always met her eyes with a challenge. So far, neither wanted to lose.

"Can I get a glass of rose please?" Nanao forgot about her original mission to check the wine list. She could feel his eyes on her back and it was getting more and more difficult being in the same room as him.

"No plum wine tonight?" Hantaro winked at her. Isane had managed to talk her gentle boyfriend into playing bartender at most of their parties. He did a surprisingly great job.

"I wanted to mix it up tonight." Nanao smiled, "How's it going for you so far?"

"Great! People are remembering to tip this time."

"I'm glad." Nanao laughed. "Just don't let my captain get away without paying his tab."

"Now, now Nanao-chan." A deep rumble came from over her left ear. "It's not kind to gossip about me while I'm in the same room."

Nanao took a sip of her bubbly before turning to face him. He was giving her his wolfish grin now, the one he slipped to the women in the booth. The same women who were watching them with jealous eyes. Nanao set her jaw as her eyes flashed up to his face.

"I'm not gossiping. I'm simply instructing. I am the planner of this party after all. I need to make sure everything is in place."

"So I see." Shunsui grinned. "Would you like to help me choose a drink for my table?"

He gestured back to where Ukitake was sitting. Some of the women waved at him. The others were too engaged with the other captain to bother. The flicks of jealousy started in her belly again. Nanao was sure her eyes were betraying her.

"I put your favorite brands on the menu tonight. I'm surprised you need help picking."

"What if I want to know what a lovely lady would prefer, instead of going off of my favorites?"

"You have plenty of 'lovely ladies at your table, captain." Nanao bristled. She took another sip of wine. "I suggest you ask one of them."

She turned her back to him again, this time taking a seat at the bar.

"But if you must know the rose is delicious." Nanao relented. She felt his body lean over her shoulder as he ordered a bottle for his table. Hantaro produced it, shooting apologetic eyes at Nanao as he gave it to the captain. Nanao winced. Was she truly so see through that everyone knew how she felt about her superior officer?

"Thank you for your recommendation Nanao-chan." Shunsui whispered in her ear. It was that, his tone of voice that clarified what she had been suspecting. He knew it too. Nanao swallowed and turned her head away from him. She found herself looking at Renji Abarai's profile. She closed her eyes and nodded. His retreating footsteps was her sign that he finally left. Nanao opened her eyes again.

"You should have just told him to stick with sake." Renji said into his drink. "Women don't much like sake in my experience."

Nanao couldn't stifle a sad laugh. Perhaps he was right. She herself wasn't fond of sake. But her captain seemed to love it. If he wouldn't bend to her at least she could make him drink something different.

"Maybe you're right." Nanao smiled. "But if he's buying drinks for a whole table hopefully he will give Hantaro here a nice tip at the end of the night."

"If he remembers." Hantaro scoffed. Nanao rolled her eyes in agreement.

"What are you drinking Abarai-san?"

"Just a beer. And you can just call me Renji, Nanao." Renji offered. "I mean, if I can call you Nanao that is."

"That's fine. It's nice to be called just by my given name from time to time. Instead of that annoying diminutive." She paused. "I'm sorry Rukia couldn't make it."

"Don't be." Renji muttered. "She didn't want to be here."

"Oh," Nanao bit her lip. "She seemed excited about it when we were planning the party."

"When she heard there was a chance to patrol in the living world she jumped for it." Renji was looking down in his empty glass again.

"Oh." After a moment she added, "Who went with her?"

"No one. She's training and patrolling with Ichigo. Again."

"Oh." Nanao nodded. Then the two of them fell into silence, looking into their glasses. Nanao glanced over to him again and saw that his eyes held the same heavy cloud her own held. She reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm, I'm sorry Renji."

"I told you, don't be." He signaled to Hantaro for another. "I should face the facts sooner or later. Maybe that way she won't have to outright reject me. Since that seems difficult for her."

"Yeah. That seems to be a difficult thing for people to do." Nanao sighed. She glanced back at the booth Shunsui occupied. He was deep in a conversation with some blonde now.

The sat in silence for a few moments while Nanao drained her wineglass. She found herself glancing over at Renji more, taking in his outfit, and his posture. Even though he was slightly hunched it didn't hide his impeccable physique. He was dressed simply, with dark jeans and a dark green t-shirt over a long sleeve white shirt. The sleeves of the white shirt were pushed up around his elbows, revealing the curves and edges of his tattoos.

It'd be nice to trace those, Nanao thought to herself, see how far they go. He glanced her way just as she was finishing the thought. She felt a twinge of heat touch her cheeks. Renji grinned at her, had she been staring that long?

"We make an interesting pair don't we?" He smiled again. "We are about as see through as these glasses we have here. At least no one is laughing at us."

"To our faces at least." Nanao turned back to him. Isane came up to chat with Hantaro at that point, standing next to Nanao. The shorter woman stepped closer to Renji to make room. Their arms brushed. She could feel his muscles tense under his sleeves. "But Rukia is missing out on much more than the party, if you ask me."

Renji seemed taken aback by that. His eyes widened as his eyebrows disappeared into his tattoos. Nanao smiled as she placed a tip in Hantaro's jar. Let Shunsui thinks he was a bore who didn't know how to flirt. She could prove him wrong, even if he didn't know it.

"Thanks." Renji grinned again, it was higher on the left side, showing off his gleaming teeth. "For the record, he might be one of the oldest and strongest captains, but he's kind of an idiot if he can't see you. Past all that."

He gestured to the ladies who were laughing at something Ukitake had said. But Shunsui wasn't laughing. He was watching the pair at the bar with keen interest.

"Thank you." Nanao turned back to the other lieutenant. "No one has ever said anything like that to me before."

"Then he's not the only idiot." Renji's eyes were trained on hers. Nanao rolled her lips together. Nanao wasn't surprised that heat was beginning to spread in her belly. Renji was one of the most attractive male shinigami in Sereitei. She was surprised that he seemed to be just as drawn in to her as she was to him.

"Nanao!" A wail broke through her thoughts. "We have a problem."

Nanao groaned as she turned toward the sound of the voice. Kiyone was flush faced and panting, which wasn't surprising. Kiyone rarely reported an incident without an added dramatic flair.

"What Kiyone?" Nanao snapped. Kiyone pointed to where Shuhei was slumped over on a table. Rangiku was busy chatting with some other older Shinigami who were also sitting there. Copious amounts of sake bottles adorned the table.

"Ugh," Nanao sighed. "Again? He needs to stop trying to keep up with her."

"That will never happen." Renji barked out a laugh. "Not while it's his life's mission to impress her. Come on, I'll help you."

The three made their way to the crowded table. Rangiku didn't even notice that Shuhei was drooling into oblivion until Nanao made her get up so they could have better access to him.

"Oh, poor Shuhei-kun!" Rangiku cried. "I didn't even notice."

"You never do." Nanao deadpanned. She tugged on Shuhei's heavy arm. "Come on Shuhei-san. Help a girl out. Just be a little mobile."

His respond indicated that he actually heard her. Shuhei lifted himself off the booth and leaned heavily on her shoulders. Shuhei exhaled heavily in her face; Nanao wrinkled her nose tightly and held her breath. Over imbibed sake breath was not one of her favorite scents. Renji eased the other man's weight off of her and onto his own shoulders as he half carried, half walked the drunk man out the door. Nanao went ahead, holding the door open for both of them. Renji got him out of the restaurant and halfway down the length of the building before he turned back to Nanao.

"You didn't need to come with me Nanao, I can handle him on my own." He offered. But Nanao could see the sweat on his brow. Shuhei was strong, and he wasn't actually doing much to help Renji walk.

"And leave you to deal with Kensei on your own? What kind of friend would I be?" Nanao winked.

"Should I come too?" Rangiku wailed behind them. Neither Nanao nor Renji noticed that the redhead had followed them out the door. Nanao definitely didn't notice that Shunsui had followed behind her.

"No. You stay put. You did enough damage already." Nanao ordered.

"I can help Shuhei-kun Nanao-chan. Stay and enjoy the party." Shunsui interjected.

"You've probably had as much sake as he did. Please just let us handle this. I promise this will be the last distraction your evening will suffer."

"Helping you wouldn't be a distraction Nanao-chan," Shunsui said gently.

"It's fine sir. Go back to the party."

"I got most of his weight Nanao," Renji jerked his head to the right. "We should get him back to bed before he threatens either of our clothes."

Nanao laughed and followed Renji's lead. It took longer than either of them would have liked to get Shuhei back to the squad 9 dorms. When they finally reached them, Nanao had a bead of sweat roll down her neck. Somehow the managed the door to the dorms, and the drunken lieutenant's room in moderate silence. Shuhei groaned and Nanao shushed him as forcefully as she could. They flopped him down on his side and propped up his head on the pillow. Nanao dragged his trash can to the side of the bed. Then she rummaged in his medicine cabinet for aspirin. She found some and left it on his dresser along with a glass of water.

"I take it you've down this before." Renji whispered.

"Far too many times." Nanao nodded. "For a far drunker individual. Come on, let's get out of here before anyone catches us."

They slipped out the door and shunpoed away, back to the alley behind the squad. Nanao leaned a hand against the cool white side of the building. She was stronger than most people realized but hauling another body across Sereitie took some work. Though Shuhei felt a great deal lighter than her captain. That was probably because Renji helped take some of his weight.

"Ok?"

"Yeah I'm fine." She wished she had a handkerchief on hand but there was no room in her outfit for one. "Just a little sweaty."

"Same here." Renji nodded. "Want to go back to the party?"

"I suppose I should." Nanao glanced at the empty streets of Soul Society. It was empty, everyone was either sleeping, at the party, or on duty. This was Nanao's favorite time of night to be out. "Though I'd rather be out here."

"I know. It's nice when it's quiet." Renji agreed. "It's almost seems like we could have a peaceful existence, doesn't it?"

"No weapons or fighting. Just quiet." Nanao smiled. "If only for a few moments."

"Nanao-san?" Renji turned to face her. She tilted her face up to meet his eyes. The same loneliness was there again but this time there was something else too. Something heated and wanting. "I know that I'm not him but-,"

"But?"

"But maybe we could pretend, for a little bit tonight?" Renji's cheeks reddened. He lowered his face to hers. "I mean,"

"It's alright," Nanao rose on her toes to meet him halfway, "We don't need to pretend."

Her lips found his and he exhaled all the tension that had been building in his body. His one hand wrapped around her waist while the other settled on the nape of her neck. Their mouths began to slant over one another as he angled her face to deepen the kiss. Tension and heat were quickly building between them. Nanao gripped Renji's shoulders tightly. She had quickly lost herself in the moment. He smelled so different than Kyoraku smelled. Renji smelled like sunlight and citrus. The crisp scent of his aftershave tingled her nostrils. It reminded her of cloves and cinnamon, warm and homey. She loved those scents.

It could have gone on forever, or at least until they needed another breath of air; but the sound of gravel crunching under footsteps called out to them in warning. They sprang apart. Nanao quickly wrapped both of her arms tightly around her midsection. Renji wiped at his chin but smiled down at her.

"You're missing the party Nanao-chan." The deep voice called out to her. Nanao paled as she raised her eyes to meet her captains. There was no teasing smile on his lips. No laughter in his eyes. He was serious, as serious as when he headed off into battle.

"Sir?"

"We thought perhaps you two got caught taking Shuhei home. The trip seemed longer than necessary." Shunsui crossed his arms over his chest. Was it possible that he was jealous? Did he even catch them kissing? Nanao could have sworn they broke away in time before he appeared on the scene.

"We had a little chat." Renji tried to remain as neutral as possible. "That's all, Captain Kyoraku."

"Ah, well. You have people waiting on you." Shunsui explained. "Rukia was wondering where you were."

"Rukia?"

"Yeah. Apparently she entrusted the rest of her patrol to Ichigo."

"Oh." Renji swallowed and looked at Nanao. She looked back up at him, afraid to see his apologetic eyes. But there wasn't any apology in Renji's eyes. They were still the same eyes that looked at her in the bar. Maybe he didn't regret that moment they had.

"We'll head back Captain." Nanao took a step forward, "You don't need to escort us."

"I'm just looking out for my Nanao-chan." The captain muttered and he walked the rest of the way next to her. The tension in his back was painfully obvious. It only got worse when Renji came up to her other side and nudged her with his shoulder. Nanao smiled as she nudged him back.

When they got to the restaurant Renji went in first. Sure enough Shunsui was right, Rukia was there, in clean clothes, eagerly looking around for the red head. The shorter woman bounded over to him. A stab of her own jealousy slid through Nanao's heart, but she reprimanded herself. What they shared was a moment, he didn't promise her anymore. As Nanao made her way through the door a hand on her wrist stopped her.

"Nanao-chan," Shunsui tugged back out of the building. He handed her his handkerchief. "You are being careful?"

"Careful with what?" She raised her eyebrows. Nanao took the offered napkin and dabbed it against her neck and collarbone. He held his hand out for it. After a moment she dropped the handkerchief in his palm.

"Your heart my Nanao-chan." Shunsui leaned into her, their bodies so close they could have been touching. "I don't want your heart getting hurt."

"That's funny. Coming from you." Nanao bit her lip.

"Your heart is always on my mind Nanao-chan." Shunsui murmured. He looked so dangerous and he was so close that Nanao didn't trust herself. She pushed away from his body and hit the wall with her back. She would rather deal with the sting from the wall than the sting of his affection. It was too fickle for her tender heart to bear.

"Thank you for your concern, captain." Nanao said curtly. "Now, we came here to enjoy the party. We should go do that."

"Nanao-chan?"

"I'm sure your table is waiting." Nanao snapped before heading back into the party. He was not about to make her feel bad for stealing a kiss. Not when she was certain he had done it himself that very night. Let him be jealous. It would do him some good to feel it now and again.

Shunsui sighed as she disappeared amongst the bodies on the dance floor. Jealousy poured through veins like whiskey. He saw the way her hands gripped Abarai's shoulders. Those should have been his shoulders, not Renji's.

They will be my shoulders, Shunsui thought to himself. He stuffed the handkerchief into his chest pocket. You can bank on that Nanao-chan.

Thanks for reading everyone! Renji was my first Bleach love, but I feel like he doesn't get enough love. The whole Rukia/Ichigo/Renji thing kind of annoys me, so I thought I'd spice up my usual ShunNao with some love for the redhead. Please let me know what you think!