Author's Note: I do not own Bleach or its characters. This is AU and inspired by Charm City Cakes bakery and the TV show Ace of Cakes.

Piece of Cake

Nanao could hear laughter coming from the kitchen. That was not exactly uncommon. For the most part, Soul Society Cakes was a pretty happy place. It was an unconventional bakery for sure, but that was part of its charm. However, Nanao was well aware that the only people in the building right now were the three co-owners. Well, technically, the business belonged to Jyuushiro Ukitake and Shunsui Kyoraku, but Retsu Ukitake basically owned the place too given that she was married to Jyuu and made sure that everyone who worked here ate, slept, and generally took care of themselves.

Soul Society Cakes was the result of two men who loved to bake and didn't feel inclined to follow the rules. You didn't go to Soul Society Cakes if you just wanted a cake. You went to Soul Society Cakes if you wanted a cake that would knock the socks off everyone who saw it. They had done everything from cakes that looked like the Titanic to a four tier wedding cake that was based on an RPG video game. In effect, the bakery had started with two friends who somehow ended up making custom cakes out of Shunsui's home. It hadn't taken long for them to realize that: A – they had a small business going here and B – they needed more space and perhaps another few people to help out. Oh and the proper permits and licensing to run a bakery.

So Shunsui and Jyuushiro had bought and renovated an old community building. It had once been part of a church and used for dances and socials. They had also hired Rangiku Matsumoto to help out. Jyuushiro did most of the baking, Shunsui did the decorating, and Rangiku helped out where needed. Nearly every cake had gone to an extremely satisfied customer, and Shunsui and Jyuushiro had gained attention on national scale. Within two years, the bakery was producing on average one to two dozen cakes a week and a staff of eight besides Shunsui and Jyuushiro. They also were having increased difficulty dealing with the logistical and organizational side of the business.

And that was where Nanao came in. Nanao had been an office administrator for a large corporation, and she quite honestly hated her job. The only reason she hadn't quit before then was the fact that she didn't have any leads for a new job. She had found that having a degree in Celtic and Norse Studies hadn't exactly led to many job opportunities. It had just happened that one of the departments in her building had ordered a Soul Society cake to celebrate a newly completed project. Quick thinking and action on Nanao's part had kept some of the idiots she worked with from ruining the cake which had led to a conversation with Shunsui that had somehow led to a job offer.

Given that she had been rather desperate to get out of her work environment at the time, Nanao had accepted and two weeks later had started working as Soul Society Cakes' receptionist and administrator. It was a rather different environment than Nanao was used to (far more laid back and eccentric), but she had adapted, and it was definitely more fun to work here. But it didn't explain what was going on tonight. Nanao had come in early in order to get some things put together and set up. It was the beginning of May, and that meant that the bakery's busy season was starting. They had about three times as many wedding cakes as usual from May to September among other things.

The bakery's day often started early, even if most of the decorators didn't arrive until later. The staff pretty much set their own hours as long as the cakes were ready on schedule, and so, Nanao had come in this early in order to get some work done without people distracting her. Still, Jyuushiro didn't normally come in to start back until at least five in the morning, and Shunsui almost never arrived before ten. But both of them were here at three in the morning along with Retsu. Clearly something was going on.

Nanao tried not to let their laughter distract her as she started putting together schedules and orders for the next month and a half. It wasn't hard work, just time consuming and not that interesting. That why she liked to do it when no one else was here. It was easy to get distracted by the antics of the decorators. They were a rather eccentric bunch. Talented for sure, and they enjoyed their work. That was one of the reasons it was so much fun to work here.

It didn't take Nanao long to immerse herself in schedules and plans, and Nanao starts a little when some one place a steaming mug on the coaster beside her computer. Retsu just smiles at her.

"Raspberry hot chocolate complete with whipped cream. Shunsui says if you're going to insist on coming in this early that you deserve a treat."

Nanao smiled. "Thanks. What are you three doing here so early? I didn't think it was possible for Shunsui to be conscious this early in the morning."

Retsu laughed. "The boys had a special project. I'm supervising to make sure they don't destroy the bakery."

Nanao just shook her head. She knew that Retsu could keep them in line, though she was a little curious about what they might be working on. It wasn't that usual for Shunsui and Jyuushiro to have a project that she didn't know about. Still, she could always peek in and see what they were up to before she headed home. Nanao's plan was to work until she war done or it was around eight in the morning, so she could get a little more sleep and then eat something before she returned to the bakery around noon.

She sipped at her hot chocolate and got back to work. It was nearly an hour later, and her hot chocolate was long gone when Nanao finished her work for the morning. She stretched and began collecting her things.

"Nanao, precious, come see what I made." Shunsui was leaning against the door frame that separated the reception area from the decorating area of the bakery.

Nanao raised an eyebrow, but she let him lead her further into the bakery. She had long ago learned that being Shunsui's test subject for various cake related experiments was definitely worth it. But that didn't prepare her for the cake that was waiting for them, sitting in isolated splendor on one of the counters.

It was three tiers tall. Nanao was silent as she started examining the first tier. The fondant was an extremely pale lavender, and there were a number of scenes painted on it. There were the distinctive buildings of Oxford University where Nanao had done her undergraduate degree and Torii gate at Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima island where Nanao had spent her summers as a child. There was also a picture of Mt. Fuji which Nanao had climbed with her roommate during the summer of her first year of university. The two women had flown back to Japan to specifically do that. And the fourth picture on that first tier was the outside of Soul Society Cakes.

The second tier was a medium shade of violet and was covered with gum paste pictures of books (with some of Nanao's favorite titles on them), various types of coffee and tea cups, Nanao's two cats, and various blossoms of Nanao's favorite flowers. The final tier was a dark purple and decorated with the words 'Thank You Nanao'. And topping the cake was a figure of Nanao with a crown and a sash that read 'Queen of the Cakes'.

"You do realize you've been with us nearly three years, Nanao," there was suppressed laughter in Jyuushiro's voice. "I doubt we would have lasted this long without your organizational skills and practicalness."

Shunsui kissed her cheek and handed her a knife to cut the cake with. "Besides, I don't know what I'd do without you."

Nanao knew she was blushing, but at their urging, she cut into the cake. Once it was cut, it was easy to see that it was chocolate raspberry, probably her favorite flavor that the bakery offered. Retsu produced plates, and Nanao served everyone a piece. Jyuushiro passed around cups of milk, and the quartet made a breakfast out of cake. The conversation turned to college stories and Retsu had some amazing accounts to tell about the boys.

Licking her fork clean of icing, Nanao leaned against Shunsui with a smile. This was not the career she had planned on or even looked for, but she was pretty sure that this was the right place for her. Shunsui wrapped an arm around her shoulders and then leaned in to kiss her cheek again.

"You had a little icing there," he claimed.

Nanao just laughed. Yes, this was definitely the right place for her.