Seireitei College, like every other college, was bustling with students every day, all of them going to their own classes, hanging out with their friends, and studying. And during lectures, every one paid rapt attention to their lecturer, not wanting to miss a thing. The occasional chatter was normal. The college was known for its well behaved students. All classes went smoothly and without any disruption. However, there was only one class that was an exception to this unspoken rule in Seireitei College. And that was Ukitake Jushiro's Principles of Economics class with the students from the March intake. Whenever it was time for his classes with them, all hell broke loose, shattering the peace that was usually maintained in the campus.

And that man was currently sinking low in his seat in his class.

Ukitake squeezed his hazel eyes shut, trying to block out the scene before him. Now, what was the reason that he had taken this job again? He knew that it had something to do with it being a fulfilling job, educating students and such. There was another reason, but for the life of him, he could not remember what the hell it was.

"You're so noisy, woman!"

"Shut up! You're the one yelling!"

Oh dear God. These two were going to be the death of him. This little argument had been going on for a few minutes now, and it was quickly escalating, their voices getting louder by the second. He had tried to break it up, but to no avail. Now the rest of the class were staring at the scene taking place in front of the class with mild interest. Mild interest, because, frankly, this was pretty much a daily occurence.

"Keep on shouting like that and you're going to give sensei a headache!" the brown haired girl screamed, her face red.

Oh how Ukitake wanted to tell her that she was also going to give him a headache what with all of that screaming that she was doing, but that would only make her burst into tears. And that was much worse.

Ukitake pinched the bridge of his nose. Sure enough, he could feel a headache coming on.

"Why are you always copying me, you irritating woman??"

Make it a HUGE headache...

"I don't copy anything you do! You're the one who's always copying me!"

Ukitake sunk even lower in his seat. It was coming, he could feel it.

"I've had enough of you! You're like a fucking parrot!"

He could have taken up a nice, peaceful, safe job like a policeman or a fireman but he just had to go and take up the job of a lecturer. He must have been fucking high or something when he made the decision. And all optimistic about life and shit. He now realised that he must have been delusional. All he wanted was to have a nice, peaceful day teaching in college, but no...

"We're going to settle this once and for all!"

Here it comes...

Kiyone Kotetsu and Sentaro Kotsubaki stopped yelling at each other and turned their gazes on their white haired lecturer.

"Sensei! Who do you think will do better for tomorrow's exam?" they demanded.

Ukitake could feel a drop of sweat slide down the side of his face. "Well..." he said awkwardly, shifting uncomfortably under their expectant gazes. Oh, what a wonderful way to start the day. And it was only 8:00 AM.

"So, how was work today, Jushiro?"

Ukitake looked at his brown haired best friend tiredly. Kyoraku Shunsui was walking beside him, a smile on his lips. Sometimes he envied the man. He was always calm and relaxed about practically everything. He dealt matters with his usual, cheery attitude. It was rare to see the man without a smile on his face. Nothing ever got him down. Plus, he did not have two rabid students constantly fighting over him.

"It was terrible, Kyoraku," Ukitake replied dully. "Kiyone and Sentaro were fighting again."

"Again?" Kyoraku sounded amused. "My, my. Aren't you popular?"

"It's not funny." The white haired man made a face.

Kiyone Kotetsu and Sentaro Kotsubaki were both students in his class and they were both constantly fighting for his approval. They were practically the reason why his hair was white. He had them as his students for a few years now. While it was flattering at first, it was beginning to get tiring. Kiyone was a petite woman who was easily excitable, and Sentaro was a brilliant and equally noisy student. He could not remember one day when his classes were not disrupted by their yelling at each other at who he liked best. Of course, he had always maintained the fact that he liked and treated all of his students the same, without any favouritism whatsoever. But if they were to know who he truly liked... A slight blush made its way to his face at the thought.

"Tell me again why I've chosen this job," Ukitake groaned, running a hand through his white locks.

Kyoraku tapped a finger on his chin. "I think it has something to do with you liking to teach. And of course, there is another reason..."

Ukitake walked ahead of Kyoraku, not wanting him to see the look on his face when he said that. "I have no idea what you're talking about," Ukitake responded stiffly. Then, he stopped in his tracks and looked around, his ears pricked.

"Sensei...!"

Did he just hear someone call out his name? "What was that?"

"That, my friend." Kyoraku came and gripped his shoulder, his smile widening. "Is your other reason."

"What...?" Ukitake said dumbly.

Before the meaning of Shunsui's words could even sink in, he heard footsteps behind him and a most familiar voice calling out to him. "Sensei! SENSEI...!!!"

And there she was; Kiyone Kotetsu. The source of his headache and the reason why he looked forward to teaching every day.

She had stopped in front of him, her large eyes bright and her skin flushed, her breath coming out in small puffs. She was perspiring lightly, having run a bit to catch up to him and Shunsui, her hair sticking to the sides of her face and to the back of her neck. A strand of brown hair fell over her eyes in such a way that Jushiro had to resist the temptation to reach out and brush it away. He gulped and kept his hands in his pockets. Damn it. Why did she have to meet him here of all places, when he was with Shunsui? He could practically feel Kyoraku's amusement.

"Kiyone?" Ukitake said slowly. "What are you doing here?"

At first, she did not reply, taking a few moments to regain her breath. When she finally did, she said, "Sensei!" Kiyone straightened up and looked up at Ukitake, her lips pulled back into a smile. "Sensei, I want to ask you something."

"What is it?" he asked, not liking where this was heading. He had a bad feeling about this.

"There's a carnival coming up next week and I was wondering if you'd like to go with me."

What?

Kyoraku suddenly came up behind him and thumped him on the shoulder, grinning. "Well, pretty boy, what's your answer going to be?"

What was he supposed to say? He was speechless.

"Don't keep the young lady waiting now, Jushiro."

It was not that he did not want to go. Heck, he really wanted to go. As he looked into Kiyone's large, expectant eyes, he really wanted to say yes. But it was not as simple as that. Kiyone was his student and he was her lecturer. It was a student teacher relationship. A relationship that simply must stay the way it is. It did not really matter what he wanted, or what he really felt. This was something that could not be argued with. He had no say in the matter at all. And that was that.

"Well..." Ukitake said once he had regained his composure. He cleared his throat. "I'd have to say no, Kiyone. I don't think that it would be appropriate for us to go out together."

"Aww...! Come on, Sensei! It'll be fun!" she tried persuading him.

But Ukitake stood his ground. He shook his head.

"No, Kiyone," he said firmly. "We can't go out together."

The moment those words left his mouth, he hated himself for it. Because the moment he had said it, she looked taken aback, the shine leaving her eyes, becoming dull. Even though she had tried to cover it by smiling, Ukitake saw through that thin mask and could feel the disappointment that lay beneath it.

"Ahhh... I understand, Sensei," she said, after a few seconds of long drawn silence.

Ukitake bit his bottom lip.

No, you don't understand.

"I truly am sorry." Wow, that sounded incredibly lame even to him.

"It's alright." Kiyone turned on her heel, looking at Ukitake over her shoulder. "Well... I'll see you in college then?"

She was about to leave when, without thinking, Ukitake reached out and touched her wrist, holding it lightly. Kiyone looked up at him questioningly. "Yes, Sensei...?"

Ukitake blinked, suddenly realising what he had done and let his hand fall to his side. "It's nothing," he said, smiling awkwardly. "See you tomorrow then."

"Oh." She looked crestfallen. Kiyone held her gaze for a few more seconds, trying to understand what was going through Ukitake's mind. When she did not, she smiled. A smile that did not quite reach her eyes. "Ahh, I'd better get going. See you then. Good bye, Sensei!"

"Good bye, Kiyone." The hazel eyed man nodded numbly before turning on his heel as well and walking away with Kyoraku by his side. And so both student and teacher parted ways, putting distance between themselves. Kyoraku tried to speak, but when he saw the look on Ukitake's face, he fell silent, sensing that it was wise not to speak any further on the subject.

The farther that Ukitake walked, the more distance he put between himself and Kiyone. But, that was how it was supposed to be, wasn't it? This relationship could not be any more than what it was, which was why putting up a wall, this barrier, was necessary.

It's just the way it's supposed to be, Ukitake tried telling himself.

Then why did he feel like he had just done a terrible mistake?

Kiyone threw her bag on to the floor with a loud thud before falling back onto her bed.

"Wow. Sounds like someone had a good day," her roommate commented easily.

"He said 'no' again, Nanao!" Kiyone whined. The petite young woman flung an arm over her eyes. She had never felt so embarrassed in her entire life. When she asked Sensei out, all he did was stare at her as though she had grown an extra head. What really got to her was the fact that she knew that he liked her. But now, she was beginning to doubt it. "Is there something wrong with me?"

Her dark haired friend rolled her eyes. "No, Kiyone. There's nothing wrong with you." She returned her attention to the book that she had been reading before Kiyone had decided to suddenly barge in. "Now stop worrying."

"Fine."

Kiyone rolled onto her stomach and watched as Nanao studied. The brown haired woman had always been attracted to Jushiro Ukitake. At first, she did not even spare him a second thought, thinking of him as she would any other lecturer. But then, she got to know him. He was patient and kind, always willing to help others. He was fair, loyal and caring. He was everything a woman could ever want in a man. And before she knew it, she had fallen for her Sensei.

Since then, she had tried everything possible to make him at least look at her, but to no avail. She could be dancing and gyrating in front of him naked for all he cared and he probably would not even bat an eye. He was either blind or he simply refused to look at her. And, of course, having to constantly compete with Sentaro Kotsubaki for Sensei's attention did not help matters.

Kiyone frowned. She swore, that Sentaro guy must be gay or something.

Gay... Hey, that's a thought. Horrifying, impure images floated through her mind.

"Do you think Sensei is gay?" Kiyone thought aloud. "Maybe he's in love with Sentaro- OW!"

Nanao had thrown a cushion at her head.

"Have you ever thought that maybe the only reason he doesn't respond is because he can't?" Nanao pushed her glasses up her nose. Geez, her roommate could be such an idiot sometimes.

"... Because he's gay?"

"Are you really that dense, Kiyone?" Nanao responded impatiently. "Think about it. He's your lecturer. You're his student. Use what little logic you have to work that puzzle out."

"Student teacher, huh? Kinda like you and your sensei Kyoraku?" Kiyone mused. "I never really thought of Sensei as my teacher though."

Nanao blushed. "That's beside the point," she muttered.

"I don't get it. What is it with him being my teacher and me being his student have to do with anything? I- OH..." Kiyone fell back against the pillows, finally understanding.

"Took you long enough."

When Kiyone did not respond, Nanao returned to studying again. Let her digest that piece of information. After a few minutes of studying, Nanao heard Kiyone laugh. It was a small laugh at first, but it soon turned into loud laughs, with Kiyone gasping for air in between. Nanao shook her head. Why was she always the one stuck with the weirdoes?

It was the last day of exams and all of the college students were nervous. It was their finals, their very last exam before they were to graduate. This exam would determine whether they would graduate or be doomed to repeat their courses. Hopefully, it was the former. The lecturers did not want to see their students again.

Jushiro Ukitake stood by the door, making sure every student made their way into the examination hall, wishing each and every one of them luck. When it came to Kotsubaki's turn, the man positively beamed when Ukitake wished him luck.

"I'll do my best!" Sentaro said, his eyes gleaming.

"I'm sure you will," Ukitake laughed. "Now, off you go."

The dark haired man practically skipped into the examination hall, fuelled by the fact that his beloved lecturer had wished him luck. Wow. He must have been the only student in history to be happy to take him exams. Ukitake scanned his surroundings, his eyes meeting every one of the students' worried faces, some of them doing some last minute research. There were so many students, yet he could not find the one that he was looking for.

"Can't find her, eh?" Kyoraku spoke up from where he leant against the wall next to Ukitake.

Jushiro fought to keep a his face expressionless. He did not want to let on the fact that he was worried because he had not seen Kiyone since that day.

"I still don't know what you're talking about."

Ukitake avoided Kyoraku's gaze. That man was just too perceptive for his own good. Instead, he cast his hazel eyes over the crowd of students. It took a few minutes, but finally, he found her. His heart lifted at the sight. Kiyone Kotetsu was making her way through the crowd, wanting to get into the examination hall. When she reached the door, Ukitake said, "Good luck, Kiyone. Do your best," as though what had transpired a few days ago did not happen.

In response, she simply flashed him a knowing smile and said, "Thank you, Sensei" in a sing song voice before disappearing into the hall.

Okay. What just happened...?

He did not like the look that she had given him.

Ukitake shook his head. It was probably nothing. He was probably imagining things. Even with that thought in mind, the feeling of foreboding did not leave. He did not like being in the dark. Once he had ensured that all of the students had entered the examination hall, Ukitake went to take a drink from a water dispenser. Grabbing one of the paper cups provided, he proceeded to fill it with water. Once the paper cup was full, Ukitake raised it to his lips and let the cool liquid go down his throat.

When did this whole mess start?

Jushiro walked back to where Kyoraku was standing outside the hall in silence, the paper cup still in hand.

"No, no, Kiyone." He shook his head, taking the pen from her hand. He was tutoring her now, something that he did only for her whenever she asked. Of course, she did not know that. Ukitake did not realise it then, but he had begun to grow attached to the young woman in ways he should not have. "Let me run this by you again."

Of course, he had wondered absently why he did what he did. Why did he agree to tutor her when she asked, when he had never done that for any other student before? But by the time he had realised what was going on, it was too late. He had fallen for the young Kotetsu and he had no way of getting out of it. He was in too deep.

"Oh, thank you, Sensei!" Kiyone cheered.

If only he had realised what that sudden feeling of happiness in his heart meant.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Kyoraku's voice broke him out of his reverie.

"It's nothing."

Ukitake looked into the examination hall through the little glass window in the door. All of the students were bent over their papers, writing furiously. Kiyone Kotetsu was biting the end of her pencil nervously, trying to figure out the answer to one of the questions. Come on, Kiyone. I've taught you everything you need to know. You can do this.

"Jushiro..." Kyoraku recognized the look on Ukitake's face. "Why don't you go talk to her?"

After a few more seconds of thinking, Kiyone finally bent over her paper and began writing out the answers easily. I knew you could do it. If only emotions could be controlled. If only he could choose who to fall for. Then, he would not be in this mess. He would not be yearning for something more from a relationship that was not allowed to go anywhere.

"She's still young, Kyoraku. And I'm much older than her." That was not quite true, of course. Yes, he was older than Kiyone, but he was quite young for a lecturer. He was merely in his late twenties and Kiyone was in her early twenties. Ukitake turned away from the window. He smiled sadly. "She'll forget all about me as soon as she steps out of that door and is no longer a student here."

For once, Shunsui did not offer a reply. Because no matter what he said, when it came right down to it, Jushiro was right. Pursuing such a relationship would only mean trouble for both Jushiro and Kiyone.

And so they spent the next hour in silence, with Ukitake sipping his cup of water every now and then until it was completely drained. Then they heard it; the sounds of chairs scraping against the floor as they were pushed back and the sounds of the students chattering excitedly. After years of teaching in Seireitei College, they knew those sounds very well. And it only meant one thing; their exams were over.

Ukitake closed his eyes, letting out a shuddering breath. "Well, looks like it's over."

"Uhh... Jushiro?"

"Yes?" Kyoraku was staring at something over his shoulder and it was making Ukitake feel uneasy.

"Remember what you said about her forgetting you as soon as she steps out of the hall?"

"What about it?" Ukitake said absently.

"I don't think she'll forget anytime soon."

Ukitake frowned. Before he could even ask what Shunsui had meant, he felt something, or someone, hurl itself at him, pressing a pair of lips against his cheek in a chaste kiss. "What the-"

"SENSEI!!!"

"Kiyone?!" Ukitake gasped in astonishment, his face burning. His skin was tingling from where she had kissed him. "What are you doing?" he said frantically. "Do you know you're not supposed to do that? You can't go around kissing people! Especially not me!"

Instead of backing off and apologising to him, she did something that he did not expect; she giggled. Ukitake thought that she was going mad. Last he heard, people just do NOT go around kissing each other. ESPECIALLY not your teachers.

"Silly." Kiyone tilted her head, smiling gently, that insane look completely gone from her face. "As of now, I'm no longer your student. So you're no longer my sensei."

Before Ukitake could process this new piece of information, Kiyone leaned up and brushed her lips against his, her hands now fisted to the front of his shirt, pulling him closer. Ukitake's eyes widened at the sudden contact but he did not push her away. Rather, he let himself relax and placed his hands on her waist hesitantly. Their first kiss was not how either of them had pictured it to be. The kiss was awkward and unsure, but sweet at the same time. It was not perfect, but they would not have changed it for the world. It was... special.

Ukitake could hear Kyoraku whistle in the background and say, "You go, pretty boy!". When Kiyone finally withdrew, their lips ghosted over each other's, their breaths mingling. Ukitake's eyes were heavily lidded and he could see that a most adorable blush adorned Kiyone's face.

"Oh my God."

Ukitake's eyes snapped open. Shit.

He turned to the source of the sound and saw Sentaro Kotsubaki staring at them with his mouth hanging open.

Sentaro had seen them kiss.

"Sentaro, this is not what it looks like." Ukitake panicked. Even if she did not say it, the exact same emotion shone on Kiyone's face. He tightened his grip around Kiyone's waist protectively.

But the dark haired man did not say anything. Which worried Ukitake even more. A quiet Sentaro was not a good sign. Slowly, Sentaro raised his hand from his side and pointed at Kiyone, the expression on his face still one of shock. He opened and closed his mouth several times. He looked like he wanted to say something. When Sentaro finally found his voice, the words that came out of the young man's mouth nearly gave Ukitake a heart attack.

"IF YOU CAN KISS SENSEI, I'M GOING TO KISS HIM TOO!!!"

Holy shit.

Ukitake never ran away so quickly in his entire life.

A/N: This is my entry for the 2nd round of the Bleach Romance Writing Contest hosted by Full Shadow Alchemist. Ha, sorry about the sudden kiss but I find that Kiyone would be the type to suddenly initiate one out of thin air. I didn't describe the kiss in detail because I don't want Ukitake to seem like a paedophile. I had A LOT of difficulties writing for this pairing and I admit that this is not my best. In fact, other than the ending, I don't like it at all. It's not as structured as I would like it to be. Nonetheless, this is my entry. I hope that it's okay. Reviews are appreciated.