Inspired by Bleach Manga #520. If you are not reading the manga, I highly suggest you do not read this, as there are major spoilers within this one-shot. If you don't mind spoilers, then please, continue.
This is what I imagine takes place between Shunsui receiving his news, and then meeting with the Central 46. Maybe this conversation will take place, but not quite like this. Who knows? Again, this is an inspired work. There is yaoi in this, so please, if it's not your thing, then I will say thank you for stopping by. :) All characters belong to Kubo Tite. Please enjoy!
...
Shunsui set the paper down after Nanao had left his office. He knew that the Central 46 would be expecting him, but there was someplace he had to go first. His stomach was turning in knots as he left his office, the soft pink satin of his kimono flowing out behind him. He went over to his closet and grabbed a wooden box from the top shelf, tucking it under his arm as he closed the door and headed out of his office.
Walking briskly, he kept his head lowered. It seemed that he wasn't the only one that had been made aware of his new position, as every shinigami that he passed stepped quickly out of the way, bowing before him. He shook it off, not wanting to think that word had spread that quickly, when he had only found out. And he knew that his Nanao-chan wouldn't go spreading this that fast. There could be only one other answer.
He stopped at the the gate for the thirteenth division, wrapping gently on the door. He waited for a few minutes, and when no one opened it for him, he proceeded to walk through himself. He saw that members of the 13th division were practicing in the courtyard, and couldn't understand why no one had bothered to answer the knock. The time that they were in, no one could afford to be so careless. He walked over to one of the ones that were standing on the side and tapped him on the shoulder.
"Is your taichou around?" Shunsui asked, his left eye meeting the man's gaze.
The shinigami yelped and began to stutter a response, no words actually making it out of his mouth before the two that had been the fukutaichou, before Kuchiki-chan had been promoted appeared in front of him. "Ohayou, soutaichou!" Kotetsu Kiyone saluted at him, her hand hitting her forehead. "Why are you here, sir?"
"I was looking for someone," Shunsui sighed, saddened by the honorific. "I don't suppose you know where I could find him, Kiyone-chan?"
The girl looked around and gave a quick nod of her head. She stepped closer to him and kept her voice soft. "He is not here, sir. He left a little while ago. Said he would be at his estate. Didn't say how long he'd be gone. He..." She gulped. "He told me under no circumstances to tell you." She bowed her head low, beginning to grovel. "Please don't tell him I told you. I..."
"It's fine, Kiyone-chan." Shunsui placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I would have figured it out soon enough. Arigatou." He let go and gave a small bow before turning on his heel, ignoring the congratulatory wishes from some of the squad members. He walked out of the courtyard, and began to use shunpo, his mind becoming blank as he raced towards UgendÅ.
He came to a stop just outside the estate, casually walking up to the front house. He saw the curtains were drawn, the house giving off a cold feeling. Shaking off what he hoped was an illusion, he walked up to the door and gave a soft knock. Again, there was no reply. Placing a hand on the knob, Shunsui gave it a gentle twist, finding the door was unlocked. He headed inside, taking off his kimono as he entered and set it on a hook by the door. He looked around and saw no lights turned on, signaling that there was no one home. But Shunsui knew better. He knew that the man he was looking for was there, he could feel him.
As he walked further into the house, he walked towards the kitchen, setting the wooden box down, and headed out the side door, which led to a small patio. When he walked outside, he saw his friend sitting there, lost in thought as the white-haired taichou was looking at something in the back courtyard. Shunsui took a seat near him, knowing full well that the man knew he was there. He kept his silence, knowing that when Ukitake wanted to speak, he would.
"How did you know I was here?" Ukitake asked, after a solid thirty minutes of quietude.
Shunsui's shoulders relaxed the moment he heard his friend's voice, thankful that he had finally spoken. "I'm supposed to tell you I figured it out on my own." His voice held a hint of mirth.
"Was it Sentaro? Or Kiyone?" Ukitake asked, stilling gazing out at the courtyard.
Chuckling softly, Shunsui looked at his friend with his one good eye. "As I said, I was supposed to tell you that I came to the conclusion on my own."
"Kiyone, then." Ukitake picked up the teacup that was near his chair, and sipped it noiselessly. "So, why did you come here?"
He felt his heart clench at the sadness that pierced Ukitake's words. "Juushiro...please...I..." He reached behind his head and took off the patch that covered his damaged eye, wanting nothing to separate the two of them. Even a small piece of cloth. He set it in his lap and kept his eyes down. "I'm not sure how word traveled as fast as it did. I had only received the letter only a little bit before I went to go and find you."
"Are you accepting, then?" Ukitake had yet to turn and look at him. Shunsui felt that knot returning in his stomach.
"I have to," Shunsui spoke quietly. "You know that I do. There's no one else. We both knew that this was probably going to be the way they went."
The white-haired taichou snorted. "Right. Out of the two of us, who is the less sickly one."
"Juushiro..." Shunsui bit back a retort, as the sarcasm in his friends' words laid heavy on his heart. "Is this what this is about? You can't tell me you're jealous that this has happened." He finally caught a glimpse of the man's green eyes.
"Jealous?" Ukitake asked, staring at him incredulously. "You must be joking, because why would I be jealous?"
Shunsui shook his head, breaking off the eye contact he had been seeking as fast as he had found it. "I don't know. I just don't know why you would come here." His voice quavered as the emotion he was trying to hide came forth. "I wanted to be the one to tell you. I don't know how word got out as fast as it did. I haven't met with the Central 46 yet. That meeting is in a couple of hours. I...I wanted to tell you personally." He kept his eyes on the black cloth that covered his right eye. "Imagine my surprise, as I walked through Seireitei, that news had already been broken, as everyone scurried out of their way and bowed to me." He scoffed, shaking his head. "This isn't happening, Juushiro. This can't be happening."
"Unfortunately, it is," Ukitake's voice was quiet once more. "It is very real. First the Zero Squad, and now this?" He stood up from his seat, setting his cup down. "It was too much for me, Shunsui. Please, excuse me." The white-haired taichou gracefully walked past him, and headed back into the manor.
Sighing, Shunsui stayed in his spot, knowing his friend and frequent lover probably better than he knew himself. He knew that if he went back into the house, that the two of them would just end up in an argument, when that was definitely not what he wanted. Even though they were on a time constraint, he wasn't going to leave until he got to the bottom of why Ukitake was acting this way. After he felt enough time had passed, he stood up and headed back into the manor.
He made his way through the dimly lit house, stopping at the closed door of Ukitake's bedroom. Shunsui lifted his hand and gave a gentle knock, knowing what was about to happen.
"Go away," Ukitake said, his voice wavering. "Please? Just go to your meeting."
The curly-haired taichou opened the door and poked his head in. "You and I both know that I can't leave until we've talked. So, don't bother telling me to leave when you know that I won't."
"Why are you doing this?" Ukitake looked at him, his hair no longer pulled back in the ponytail that it had been in while he was sitting outside. "Why can't you accept that I just want to be left alone?"
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Shunsui met Ukitake's eyes. "Because, out of all the years I've known you, and we've known each other for a very long time, not once have you told me you'd rather be left alone." He moved closer to where Ukitake sat, thankful that he wasn't scooting away from him. Placing his left hand on the side of Ukitake's leg, he leaned in closer to his body. "Now, why don't you quit being so pathetic and just tell me what is going on?"
"Pathetic?" Ukitake snorted, shaking his head, the long strands of hair falling from their resting place on his back to be on his chest. Shunsui's eyes never left his face, even when Ukitake inhaled sharply and closed his eyes. "I don't want you to leave me." Ukitake whispered. "I don't want things to change, now that they've given you this...Now that you're our soutaichou."
Hearing the truth finally leave his friend's lips made that tension that had built up once more disappear completely. "Juu...you and I both know that even with this new position, nothing is going to change between us. I...I want you by my side. You and I...we're in this together. For better or worse." He reached up with his left hand and gently cupped Ukitake's cheek. "Don't you understand?"
Ukitake turned his head, nuzzling Shunsui's palm. "Get what? That you've been signed to a death sentence? That we have no idea how this fight is going to play out with the Quincies, nor do we know how we're going to repair our lost forces?"
"Well, I was actually thinking more along the lines of how you and I have always been together. The other stuff hadn't actually crossed my mind," Shunsui grinned. He chuckled softly as he saw the look of disappointment cross Ukitake's features. "Listen, I brought over some sake from my private collection, hoping that the two of us could have a toast."
"A toast? To what? Your death sentence?"
Groaning, Shunsui stood up from the bed. "You know, you should stop looking at it that way." He walked over to the door. "Get undressed, and I'll be back with warm sake." He winked at Ukitake, smiling as he saw the paler man's cheeks become inflamed with blood. He headed out of the bedroom and made his way back to the kitchen.
He placed the sake in warm water, allowing the water to heat up naturally, to make it get to the correct temperature. Putzing around the kitchen, he grabbed two sake cups and a large sake carafe, and set them to the side. Once the water was bubbling, he took the bottle out and poured the contents into the carafe, pleased with how warm it had gotten. He turned off the burner and poured the water into the sink, before setting the empty pot back on the stove. Taking the two cups and carafe, he headed back to Ukitake's bedroom. Opening the door, he saw that his friend had heeded his request, and was now wearing no clothing, covered up only by the sheet and blanket on the bed.
"Ah, thank you for doing as I asked," Shunsui said, setting the two cups on the small table next to the bed. He poured two healthy portions into each sake cup and handed one to Ukitake, their fingers brushing lightly as the cup passed between their hands.
Ukitake held up the cup to his own. "Don't you think you should be doing something?"
"Oh?" Shunsui asked playfully, knowing just what his friend was alluding to. "Like what? Drinking this sake?"
The white-haired taichou pouted. "Why must you always do this?"
"Because I enjoy seeing this side of you," Shunsui leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on Ukitake's cheek. "And it shouldn't be that hard for you to ask me to take off my clothes. It wasn't a task for me to ask you."
A pink blush tinted Ukitake's cheeks. "Shunsui..."
"Alright, alright," Shunsui set down the sake cup, undressing quickly. He picked up his cup and walked around the bed, as naked as the day he came into the world, and sat next to his love on the bed. "Does this make you feel better?"
The blush that was on the white-haired taichou's visage was slowly turning into a flush. "Yes, it does." Ukitake held up his sake cup, clinking it against Shunsui's. They said no verbal toast, both saying a silent one in their head as they threw back the warm liquid.
"I don't -"
Ukitake turned and pulled Shunsui into a close hug. "Please, just...don't say you don't have a lot of time. I'm well aware that you have places to be. But, for right now, let's just be like we always are, without having that...that..." Ukitake hugged him closer. "Without that title hanging over both of our heads."
"Is it really bothering you that much?" Shunsui placed a hand on the back of Ukitake's head, cradling him close to his body. "Juu...I'll just refuse, if it means that much to you."
The white-haired taichou lifted his head up and met his eyes. "No. You cannot say that, because you and I both know that this isn't something you can say no to. Who else would lead us? The moment that Yamamoto-san met his fate, I knew it was only going to be a matter of time before they contacted you. There is no one else."
"There's Kurosaki-san," Shunsui said, with a serious tone. "We both know that he is extremely powerful and strong."
"He is, but we both know that this isn't what he's meant for. Not right now, at least." Ukitake rested his head against Shunsui's chest, the two of them laying down naturally on the bed. "And he's human. And still so young." He looked up at the curly-haired taichou. "No, it had to be you. I think Yamamoto would be pleased."
Chuckling softly, Shunsui gave a small shrug of his shoulders. "What does it matter, what the old man would have been pleased about? The reason we're in this situation right now is because he's no longer with us." He placed a soft kiss on the corner of Ukitake's lips. "Enough talking, please. I thought you didn't want to talk about that anymore?" Shunsui enjoyed the soft gasp that came from his love's mouth, as his lips ghosted across them with the soft hint of a kiss.
"I don't, but..." Ukitake's lips found their way back to Shunsui's, kissing him with a gentleness that always made the larger man's blood boil. "Shunsui..." He placed his hands on the soft curls of hair on Shunsui's chest, making him groan low.
Shunsui brushed his lips against Ukitake's once more, letting his lips linger for a second longer than before. "Later, please...?" He knew he didn't have to tell the man just what he meant, and soon lost himself in those soft pair of lips, all thoughts of the world leaving his brain. The only thing he cared about was being with the man he loved, not wanting to acknowledge that this could be the last time they were going to have a time like this together.
Their lips met in a soft kisses, until Shunsui grew tired of the teasing, and took matters into his own hands. He wrapped an arm around Ukitake's back, gently pressing him into the bed as he let his tongue lick Ukitake's bottom lip. He parted his lips immediately, allowing Shunsui's wet muscle into his mouth, both men moaning low as their tongues danced their familiar dance together. Each knew just what the other enjoyed, a soft sweep of the mouth with the tip of his tongue, or a gentle duel with both tips, soft moans escaping past both of their lips.
Breaking off the kiss reluctantly, Shunsui pressed his chest against Ukitake's. "You know what I'm going to ask you..."
"I'm fine," Ukitake said, nodding his head. "Took care of it before..." A soft blush appeared on his cheekbones.
A small smirk appeared on Shunsui's face. "You were hoping I would come here, and yet, you played like you didn't want me here." He kissed the side of his lover's neck, pleased that they didn't have to waste any time. "I love you, Juushiro..."
"Aah..." Ukitake leaned his head back. "Had to...make you work..."
"I see," Shunsui said, settling between his legs. He reached under the mattress and grabbed the small bottle of lubricant they left there. He poured the liquid liberally over his arousal, stroking himself gently to make sure it was coated properly. Shunsui placed the bottle back in its home, and gave his attention back to the white-haired taichou. "Well, aren't you just a tease..." He pushed against his entrance, not allowing himself to go all the way in, mimicking what he was calling his lover.
Ukitake gripped his shoulder tightly, moaning low. "You call me...a tease...? When you're...torturing...me...?"
"Yes," Shunsui said, quickly thrusting into his body, capturing the loud moan that was falling from Ukitake's lips in a passionate kiss.
He moved slowly, wanting to savor the moment, rolling his hips gently. He could feel Ukitake writhing underneath him, trying to push him to move faster as their tongues caressed one another. Relenting to his love's silent request, Shunsui began to rock his hips faster, pushing himself deeper into Ukitake's body. They broke off the kiss simultaneously, as they both began to moan low with the deep penetration of Shunsui's arousal in Ukitake's body. He groaned low as he felt Ukitake's legs wrap around his waist, forcing him deeper into the man's body, the squeezing of his inner walls a welcome feeling on Shunsui's arousal. He knew it wouldn't be long before they would reach their climax, always together, for it had been that way for over a hundred years. The hair on his chest scraped against the pale, bare chest, the sounds of their hips slamming into each other loud in his ears. Shunsui lifted his head and caught Ukitake's green eyes staring up at him.
"S-Soutaichou..." Ukitake moaned as he reached between their bodies, beginning to touch himself to completion. Shunsui groaned at the name, the sound of Ukitake utterly it in the throes of passion headed straight to his arousal, making him pump his hips faster and harder. He felt Ukitake beginning to tighten around him, and pushed all the way in, hitting the white-haired man's sweet spot dead on. "SHUNSUI!" Ukitake cried out as he released hard onto their bodies.
Moaning low, Shunsui whispered, "Juushiro..." as he fell over the edge with his friend, the man who had always been by his side. He heard Ukitake utter a soft whimper, as they both came down from their orgasm together.
Shunsui rested his head against his lover's neck, breathing deeply. After a few moments, he lifted himself up, slipping out of him naturally. He laid on the bed, sighing softly. "I have to go soon."
"I know," Ukitake said, placing his head against Shunsui's chest. "Apologies for my stubbornness earlier. If I had spoken sooner..."
The curly-haired taichou lifted his lover's face up towards him. "Don't speak that way. I knew that this was going to be difficult." He pulled him up, kissing him softly. "Do you want me to come back here after I meet with the Central 46?"
"Just come back when you can." Ukitake said, resting his chin on Shunsui's sternum. "I'm sure they'll throw you into your new duties as soon as you leave there. So, don't feel bad if you can't make it right away."
Chuckling, Shunsui kissed his cheek before slowly getting up from the bed. "You know me too well, my friend." He got dressed, trying not to let his eyes wander to his lover's naked form. Once he was finished getting dressed, he placed the eyepatch back on his face. "Are you sure that you're okay with this?" The tightening of his stomach returned, anxious to find out his friends' answer.
"Shunsui, of course. Just...don't go on a powertrip with me, alright?" Ukitake smiled, laying back on the bed. "Now, get out of here, before the OnmitsukidÅ show up and collect you."
He lowered his head and placed another soft kiss on the white-haired man's cheek. "I love you, Juu. I'll see you in a little bit."
"I love you more, Shunsui." Ukitake gave him a small wave as he left the bedroom, closing the door behind him.
As he was leaving, he grabbed his pink kimono, placing it back over his shoulders. Stepping out of the manor, Shunsui felt a little bit better about the entire situation. He could hear Ukitake's voice calling out his new title in bed, sending a shiver through his body. Need to focus on the task at hand. He shunpo'd back to Seireitei, the bounce in his step a lot lighter than it had been earlier. Whatever the Central 46 was going to say, it wasn't going to change things. As long as he knew he would always have Ukitake to go to, then nothing else really mattered.