Author's Note: Another little drabble that was stress-induced. Pardon the mixing up of sur-names, I'm not very familiar with some of the captains. Oh, and Nanao's vocabulary wouldn't leave me alone.

Reflection

Nanao blinked at the book lying open on the table before her. She had lost her place in her research for the third time. The odd comment she had overheard from some students had sent her mind down a very strange path and she was finding the unanswerable questions quite irritating.

One young man had leaned back from his own book with a huge sigh and whispered loudly to his companion, "I don't understand some of the rules they have about inter-office relationships. I mean, when they put a guy and girl together, the potential for that is stupidly obvious."

The boy who seemed more devoted to his lessons than his friend had only turned a page and replied, "Yes, but by the time they get put in an office, their experience and training should keep them from such a relationship. Or at least they know how to hide it."

The first boy had snickered and pulled a new book towards him. "I'll bet there are piles of skeletons in the division closets."

She quietly closed the large volume of kudo spells and left the library, taking care that the two students didn't see the division badge on her left arm. Once out of the building, she paused to consider the practicality of the protocol forbidding inter-office relationships. She understood and agreed with the fact that such relationships could create complications, but she wasn't naïve enough to think that emotions ever followed rules. Her studies of Real World history gave evidence of empires being built and torn apart by relationships such as those the system tried to stifle. Nevertheless, she did not believe that all such involvements were detrimental. After all, she was currently entangled in possibilities but maintaining her professional capacity.

Nanao found herself walking towards the training grounds. It was mid afternoon and many of the divisions had squads out to practice. She watched the groups with faint interest. Her real interest traced the lines of contradiction that the Soul Society created in the pairing of male and female leaders. She missed the flutter of pink on one of the rooftops overlooking the parade field and continued on down to the river.

The first couple that came to mind brought immediate remorse. Hinamori had been devoted to a fault to her captain. Aizen had the appearance of the ideal leader – one who was responsible, considerate, and reluctant to battle unless for a last resort. How twisted he truly was came to light when he had run her through with his sword even as she had run to him in hope and trust. He had taken full advantage of the trust shown him and was the perfect example of how such connections could become dangerous.

Nanao shook her head to herself. Hinamori and Aizen were a bad example. There was one pairing she personally had suspicions regarding the depth of interaction. The Tenth Division's captain, Hitsugaya and his second, Rangiku were of such different natures that she had been surprised that they had tolerated one another for as long as they had. For all the lecturing that the young captain gave his older lieutenant, he had never made any motion to replace her. And they worked well enough together – more in action than on paper. Nanao had caught the tail end of the occasional affectionate look that the blond woman gave her superior and until now had dismissed the glances as those given due to their age difference. In this second light, Nanao could easily translate those looks into those of one of personal care and not simply professional.

Then there was the strange and violent clan of Division Eleven. Zaraki was a man who was better in a bar room brawl than running an organization. Yet somehow, between his fierce nature and the childish presence on his shoulder named Yachiru, the division managed to conduct its affairs in a passable professional manner. The thought of their relationship being more than platonic was something Nanao decided not to pursue.

Finding herself on the edge of the river, Nanao watched the sunlight sparkle off of the small waves and dazzle the summer's dragonflies. She bent down to pick up a smooth rock and tossed it back into the water. The ripples that lapped at her feet seemed symbolic for a reason that made no sense at the moment.

There were other relationships on which she had no real information, only the half-whispered rumors. Second Division's captain and vice captain were worse than oil and water and she wondered how Soi Fong even tolerated one like Marechiryo. The Twelfth Division made her shudder. Captain Mayuri claimed that Nemu was his daughter. His treatment of her was lacking any sort of human relationship and sickened Nanao's basic nature.

Nanao suddenly noticed the angle of her shadow on the riverbank and frowned. Over and hour had passed since overhearing the conversation in the library. She should have returned to the Eighth Division office twenty minutes ago. She spun on her heel and began marching back, irritated at herself for being so distracted by such trivial thoughts.

Distractions – relationships beyond the professional level caused distractions.

Why was she lingering over such a known fact?

Pushing a fly away strand of hair behind one ear, Nanao paused under the smooth arms of a cherry tree.

It was because she was distracted.

Her relationship with Captain Shunsui was frustrating, but still held to the professional level, though primarily through her determination. It was actually working after a fashion because he was finally taking some initiative in his paperwork. To her surprise, he actually took care of the majority of his reports – though when he got around to them without her knowing was a mystery. He seemed set on upholding the front that he was still the lazy, sidestepping captain he had always been, but she found herself forced to make up reasons to hunt him down when he left the office early. If she did not find a reason to follow through with the traditional harassment, he would inevitably show up with a sake bottle in hand and occasionally a female in the other. That was a greater distraction and consumed more effort in ignoring or dismissing than to simply find other ways to occupy her captain's time. When she did find him with the newest report with its ink barely dry he would sigh dramatically but take the paper with a secretive smile that both irritated and pleased her.

"Why Nanao-chan, how devoted you are to me in bringing me notes in person."

"Another declaration of your love, dearest? You really shouldn't have for I already know of your deep passions."

She could only respond with her customary whaps of her fan, book, or bare hand.

For a month now, Nanao had been dutifully seeking him out under the cherry trees, on rooftops, and sprawled out on his couch under pretense of needing him for another administrative task. The teasing, flirting, and fan smacking continued, but Nanao found her situation rather unsettling.

He was making her come to him – not that the need was any different, but the circumstances had been turned.

Today was a perfect example. Nanao had arrived promptly at eight o'clock in the morning and found three stacks of papers on her desk. When she sat down to start to work on them, she found to her shock that two of the stacks had been completed and signed with Shunsui's seal. As a result, her duties were done by lunch hour and she found herself at a loss as to what to do with the spare time. She had no other reports for the time being, the Division was as neat as a pin, and all Woman's Association meeting arrangements had been handled by other members.

Marching into the court of the Eighth Division, she immediately felt the rietsu of her superior officer.

"Nanao-chan, I was about to send out a search party for you!" A swirl of pink cloth gracefully landed in front of her as she turned away from closing the gate.

She glanced around the empty grounds and narrowed her eyes. "You were going to, or already have? I sense no one left in the Division quarters."

He posed, thoughtfully placing one finger to his chin. "Well, Nanao-chan is never late and she has been gone almost all afternoon."

She stiffly moved past him. "I took a late lunch and chose to extend it. If you had simply taken a moment to pick out my rietsu, you would have known there was no cause for concern." She paused, eyes widening. "Sir, did you dismiss all of the Division?"

He had the nerve to look surprised. "Of course!"

Nanao wished violently for a large object to throw at his head. Instead she settled for checking her glasses. "Sir, I appreciate the concern, I appreciate the sudden interest you have put into your duties as captain, but I do not appreciate being kept in the dark."

The lazy humor in his dark brown eyes cleared. Crossing his arms over his broad chest, Shunsui raised an eyebrow. "Kept in the dark?"

She refused to be baited. "Captain, if your change of behavior is to garner favor with me for a particular reason, it is best if you tell me now."

"You were gone a long while. What were you doing down by the river alone?"

The sudden change of subject did not faze her. "I was thinking about the relationships of other captains and their lieutenants. Please tell me what is going on."

The empty courtyard suddenly felt heavy. "Were you perhaps thinking about us, Nanao-chan?"

Nanao couldn't help swallowing reflexively against the velvet rumble in his voice. She pointedly frowned to cover the motion and knew exactly what corner he was trying to verbally back her into. "I was considering how strangely paired some of the divisions are."

"Not unlike ourselves, wouldn't you agree?"

"I was also thinking about how hypocritical it is of the council to require all relationships between officers to be strictly professional while we are faced with potentially deadly threats."

A greedy smile bloomed on his face, "Are you suggesting that we ought to sleep together for tomorrow we may die?"

She gave him a withering glare. "No, sir. But I do not understand how the council expects a unit to work smoothly if there is nothing more than rules to hold it together. It dismisses trust and loyalty and all other basic human emotions. We may be spirits, but we are not machines."

Shunsui's grin faded to a sardonic smirk. He looked up at the tall white tower on the horizon and placed one hand on the hilt of his swords. "Here is a secrete for you, Nanao." His eyes closed. "Rules are really only guidelines. When they are thoroughly learned, their purpose understood, it is acceptable for them to be bent but not broken."

Nanao looked up at him and for the first time could see his true age in the shadows of his face. There was a history in him that she would probably never know, but that she was more than willing to accept.

He distracted her, he watched over her, he claimed his love for her daily, but she was comfortable in the knowledge that he needed her in this world and that quite possibly, she needed him as well. They kept one another grounded, motivated, and secure.

She pulled her gaze away from him and turned to look up at the tower. "I came to the conclusion that the council is most likely aware of the impracticality of their protocol, however, they cannot freely allow frivolous relationships because they would become too much of a distraction."

He laughed shortly, "Ah, my analytical vice captain – you overlook the possibility that they also wanted to encourage those who are determined to make a relationship. The stronger a bond, the better the outcome be it on a battlefield or in the office."

Nanao sighed to herself. "Enough then, I'll send messages out for the Division to return."

A hand on her shoulder halted her departure.

"I realized that you use paperwork as your primary shield."

She stiffened.

"I also realized that it is probably one of the few things that draw us together regularly."

His voice had dropped again to the one timbre that never failed to send tingles through her entire body. She imagined it as his bedroom voice and had to concentrate on something unpleasant to stave off blushing. With the memory of a mouse waking her in the dead of night during her university years, she firmly reached up to remove his hand from her shoulder.

Shunsui smirked.

With a sharp grab and pull, he spun her around and directly into his arms. She gaped up at him at the blatant disregard for protocol and he grinned.

"Sir… You… Let go!"

His arm around her waist only tightened in a rather flustering manner and he continued, "I'm bending the rules and have decided to take away the one thing that seems to constantly keep us apart."

He dipped his head down to her right ear and whispered, "So, my Nanao, we have more time to simply spend with one another."

Her heart pounding, Nanao threw out the book for the first time in her life and lifted her face up to the waiting lips of her captain.

When the other member of the Eighth Division slowly trickled back from their search all over the city, many of the grumbles turned into cheers at the notice posted at the main gate.

Permission Is Granted By Captain Shunsui For All 8th Division Members To Take The Day Off

Author's Note: There was a lot of 'stuff' at the beginning. I was reading Hitsu/Rangiku stories and had the thought that so many of the leaders have potentially such messed up pasts. And then it snowballed into this. And then I got a headache. And I've not studied Japanese today…